Fire of a Soul
by Author-chama
Summary: Kanra Orihara is indestructible. Is she? A old enemy returns & she finds herself caught in his plan for revenge. She finds someone tht plays a key role in her life can get hurt & she can prevent it. A major injury hurts her & there may be no cure. what happens when he finds out? Up 2 reader what & if ships exist. Sry bad summary pls read! more details inside M for language/violence
1. A Day in the Life of Kanra Orihara

I know that this isn't Izaya, but I just couldn't get the idea for Kanra (fem. version of Izaya) out of my head. When I tried to type this up I just came up with nothing for Izaya, but with Kanra the possibilities were endless. This is my first fanfic, and I'm new to the site, so hopefully I did everything right.

I am thinking on going along the lines of Kanra getting hurt to protect someone, but she doesn't know why, yet. She got caught up in work and some old enemies came back, and that is when she knows she would do anything to keep them from getting to that person. Meanwhile, a major injury has affected her, and there may not be a cure. Kanra lives with the difficulties in silence, so the person she is protecting has no idea. But what happens when he stumbles across this?

This first chapter is just a little bit of a mindless introduction. Sorry for any typos I might have missed, my spell check is being a bit of a butt right now, and it is deciding to type things I'm not and replace stuff with weird random things...? So let me know if I can clear anything up, please read, comment, and so on! :3 Hopefully I can promise suspense and cool fights, I have some ideas in mind. .-. Well, thanks for reading!

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Fire flashed in Kanra Orihara's ever blazing brown eyes as the vending machine she just sidestepped passed deliberately just a hair from her nose, her reflection casting her wicked grin back at her. She laughed, a sound that sent chills down a persons spine while at the same moment dazing them with some hidden beauty buried deep within the sound.

She heard the vending machine crash behind her, the crunch of metal ringing through the air. Kanra had only moved a fraction of an inch, her whole demeanor calm and relaxed as if this were an everyday occurrence. Which it was. This wasn't the first time she had dodged a vending machine, and it wasn't the first time she had waited until the last moment to do so. That was the way she played her game. She lived for the moments where she literally stared death in the face, laughing, with all the smug defiance and fiery attitude she had. Death was not her master, and Kanra taunted it each chance she got.

"KANRRAAAA!"

Still laughing, Kanra turned to her left and faced the source of the noise. Moments earlier she had been on her way to Russia Sushi, when she had come across someone in particular. Said person was the one responsible for the vending machine that now was embedded into a smoking parked car engine. Kanra saw an absolutely irritating, brainless x-bartender, Shizuo Hewajima. The acclaimed 'Strongest man of Ikebukuro,' her greatest rival. Kanra stood hardly three yards from him, staring him dead on in the eyes, her entire body language radiating a mocking smugness. Her eyes gave a dark look so sharp it could cut someone, _daring_ the x-bartender to do something. The two of them were standing in the middle of the empty road, with only the occasional parked cars lining the sidewalks.

"Really Shizu-chan, here I am walking the streets of Ikebukuro, and the first thing you do is throw a vending machine at me the moment you make eye contact? Is that _really_ a way to treat a lady~?" Kanra said, her voice ringing out as sharp as her glare. the harshness in her tone made the few onlookers flinch, but Kanra paid no mind to them. Her lovely humans were insignificant at this moment. She smirked, watching the blonde ball his hands in anger.

_He is so easy to provoke._

"You, in no way, are any excuse for a lady, you black, soulless, parasite!" Shizuo yelled, picking up a recycling bin.

"Ah, poor Shizu-chan. You fail to realize that even as a 'black, soulless, parasite,' I am far more accepted than a monster such as yourself~." Kanra began, her words throwing fuel on the fire as Shizuo's temper rose. "Just look around for once, Shizu-chan! The entire city is terrified of you and your childish tantrums. People nearly shit themselves at the sight of you. You'll never be normal~. Accept it, I am practically adored when in comparison to y-" she effortlessly ducked the recycling bin that flew over her head as Shizuo ripped out the nearest street sign and started stomping towards her.

Kanra immediately became irritated, didn't want this slow witted monster taking one more step closer. Shizuo revolted her, yet his strength intrigued her. Kanra's eyes darkened and a cruel flash sparked across them. Her grin vanished and as she stood up straight, glaring coldly.

"In comparison to you, you foul protozoan." Kanra finished, her words dripping with ice.

She then flashed an evil smirk at the enraged x-bartender before spinning on her heels and sprinting down the street, with Shizuo following close behind.

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Kanra grinned the entire walk to her office in Shinjiku. It was an expensive, spacious place on the top floor of the building, and it also happened to be her apartment. She didn't mind though. As one of the cities' most notorious underground informants, Kanra spent a lot of time observing her precious humans. Living there just meant she could do so 24/7 if she liked.

When she finally got to the top floor, Kanra got out her keys and un-locked the door to her apartment. She pushed the door open, flicking the lights on as soon as she stepped inside. She smiled and shut the door behind her, turning around to lock it. In her line of work, it didn't hurt to be a little paranoid. There was always some asshole with his panties in a twist because their pitiful lifestyles were altered, and they seemed to somehow get it in their minds that she was to blame.

Kanra walked around the bookcases, heading towards her desk as she slipped off her jacket. She tossed it on the back of the couch as she passed by. Kanra dropped her keys on the desk as she walked around it sitting heavily on the spinny chair and sighing. She drummed her nails on the desk before leaning forward and turning the computers on. Kanra's eyes wandered as the computer booted up, scanning the second level library and sitting room.

She stretched, feeling the slight effects of running away from the revolting protozoan. Kanra didn't know exactly what it was about Shizuo that repulsed her so much, and even more infuriatingly curious was why she was so intrigued by his skill.

_Shizu-chan may look like he has shit for brains, but he does have at least some bit of brain cells in that empty skull. But he only uses it when he choses to remember that. One minute he is comparable to the missing link, the next he does something totally unexpected and occasionally, yet very rarely, clever. Ugh, infuriating and exiting at the same time._

Kanra leaned back in the chair, frowning. She hadn't had a chase like that in a while. Kanra decided she needed to get some more exercise. She was already in great shape, but she didn't want to risk slacking off. She dealt with a lot of shady people, so she needed to be ready for a fight. Though it wasn't like she'd ever fight without a trick or two up her sleeves to get her out in a sticky situation. One "secret" advantage she has was possesing incredible agility, speed, and accuracy; even though her appearance betrayed nothing of the hidden lethal power she possessed.

The computer pinged, and Kanra pulled the chair forward, logging in to catch up on what she had missed while she got Shizu-chan to cost Ikebukuro in the various things he threw at her, more than not missing her entirely...

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Yes I changed it I absolutely hated the old version of this chapter. Hopefully it is a lot better now. Thanks for reading~!

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Review Response~!

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Anon-chan 2/17/13 . chapter 1

Good job!

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thanks~! I appreciate the feedback~!

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R 6/23/13 . chapter 1

Kinda scares me that this is rated M _  
But than again. Idc what its rated :'D  
Giving the first chap a re-read since I forgot what ur ff was even about. aside from the fact that it includes kanra. xD  
so I might have already wrote a review. BUT! Im Anon. so it doesn't even matter :D

Breaks my heart every time when comments like those are thrown at Shizuo xD

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Lol how does it scare you~?

:'D lol I just wanted to make sure that I didn't get reported or whatever for violence and language.

XD Thanks~! And don't worry, its kinda my fault for taking so long... lol

lol thanks just the same~!

Awww~! XD if that is the case, then it may be interesting to see your reaction to the final chapters~ although the only problem with that is your anon.

I wish I could visibly see your reactions-... great now I feel like a creeper. Oh wait XD never mind. Not a creeper. just Kanra XD

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Oh dear god, she literally did it. I had talked to my good friend Aneki-senpai on the dollars, and was joking around about needing help getting info on what I missed because everything is clear in the writers point of view. I was teasing her because I mistook another dollar for her, and said that as punishment she should review every chapter with details about every thought and tell me what was clear and unclear.

ANEKI-SENPAI.

YOU DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE ME LITERALLY.

I THOUGHT I MADE IT CLEAR I WAS KIDDING.

YOU DEAR CHILD OF GOD.

I LITERALLY FACEPALMED.

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Aneki 5/15/13 . chapter 1

Hey, hey! I liked the fact that you put the reader into the mind of Miss Kanra! But, I have to ask, how tall are you imagining her? Like, if you're 23 and weigh 115 lbs, you either have to be super short or so skinny it's unhealthy! :/ And muscle weighs a lot! Dang sorry this is kinda short and I KNOW YOU SAID TO BUT DEPTH INTO IT BUT IT IS A SHORT CHAPTER HHHHHHHHH GOMEN

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thanks~! I am imagining Kanra about the same height as Izaya, and yes looking back I agree. *facepalm* that was just one of the many reasons I re-did this chapter. the review is fine~! Thanks so much~!

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kanra 7/9/13 . chapter 1

this is great -w- oh and btw izaya dosent die -.- u meanie

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Thanks~! xD true, Izaya doesn't die in the anime, u mad? Lol now we're even~! Thanks so much for reviewing even though I am a "meanie" lol~


	2. Burning the Foul Demon to Hell

Oh my Gosh! Yay! \^v^/ ~ Thanks for reading! It's so cool to see that people around the World have read my story!~ This chapter was more of a comic relief (and I am not sure if Ikebukuro calls it a firehouse/fire truck so I let Kanra be imaginative.) \^w^/ Thanks again, so happy right now! Please review, Im dieing to know what my precious humans think of my story!~

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Chapter 2 - Burning the Foul Demon to Hell.

"Kanra!"

The irritated voice rang out a split second before Kanra was jolted awake by a loud _WHAM!_ She sat straight up from where her head was resting on her arms in front of the computer monitor. She blinked at it, pulling her arms off her desk.

_"Hello?"_

The annoyed voice reached Kanra's ears. A grin spread across her face as Kanra let her brain catch up with her sudden wonderful wake up call, courtesy of a certain Namie Yagiri. Kanra put on her most annoying grin, and turned to adress the secretary from hell.

"You must be trying to ruin my day Namie-San~. Here I am rudely waken up from seep sleep to find that your sour face and voice are the first things I hear or see."

The Namie in question just scoffed. "I wish I could take the pleasure of saying that was my sole intention, but you have a client coming in soon. Mr. Harma. If you don't wish to get ready then by all means, I'm happy enough with simply waking you up like this. Although next time I'll be sure to hit your head." Satisfied, the woman picked up the 10 inch thick book and carried it back to the library.

Kanra smirked after the woman before looking at a silver clock on the wall. 7:30. She had an hour to get ready. She left and went up the stairs, pulling on some clean clothes. Namie openly wondered why Kanra's wardrobe mainly consisted of black jeans, short shorts, shirts with long, short, or no sleeves, black shiny combat boots, and several spares of Kanra's favorite soft black jacket with golden fur trims. Funny, considering how the woman always wore that stupid green and emerald sweater and red skirt.

After Kanra washed up for the day, she hopped the banister and landed on the floor with a almost silent _thud_, consequently startling a Namie in the process. Kanra tried not to giggle as the irritated woman had to pick up the papers she had just finished organizing, (which were now scattered on the floor) mumbling something about being %115 done with some "overly reckless psychotic freak." Strange woman.

Kanra looked out the glass windows and looked at the morning sky before turning to her right and hopping over the couch. She leaned forward and arranged the wood in the fire pit. Kanra loved fires, which was why they had two fire pits in the home and good ventilation so the apartment didn't smell or get smokey.

As she reached for a piece of wood she saw something crawl right next to her hard, it's reflection on the silver ring that was on her pointer finger. Kanra's hand shot back like lightning and she let out a scream as she shot into the air, jumping backwards behind the couch. Her hand went to the small handgun Kanra put in the back of her jeans this morning as she landed lightly on the ground. Her fingers closed around the gun and she whipped it out in front of her, right arm extended as she fired twice at the horrid black spot.

"With a scream like that one would think you saw a murderer." Namie said, in a voice far from sympathy as she filed through papers in her hands.

_Yet she didn't look up. And I wouldn't scream if I saw a murderer. Kanra Orihara does not scream._ Kanra thought sourly, stubbornly ignoring the evidence that Kanra Orihara most certainly _does_ scream when it came to... that _thing._

She crept cautiously around the couch, peering at the thing. It writhed in a repulsive way that made Kanra cringe and a shiver went through her. She had fired a bullet on both sides of where it had been when it dared to crawl near her. The first bullet had landed right next to the thing, and the second would have hit it, if it didn't fall and get trapped under slivers of wood.

It was evil. Vile. Disgusting. Ugly. Repulsive. It didn't deserve to exist. It was a mistake. It should die. Be killed. It _will_ be killed. Squish the life out of it! Stab it with a pin until it dies! Cut it to pieces! Stab it then wipe its guts over the entire freaking apartment as a warning to all its kin! _LET IT __**BURN**__ IN THE FIRES OF HELL FOR ITS EVIL! IT'S CIME FOR EXISTENCE! BURN! FIRE! BURN!_

Kanra grabbed a matchbox, trying not to look at the repulsive writhing black creature as she struck it.

_Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn Burn!_

She layed it near the thing, quickly pulling out more matches and lighting them, lining them up in a circle before the wood caught on fire, so the damn thing _BURNED_ in a _FREAKING CIRCLE OF IGNITED TORTURE!_

"Burn Burn Burn BURN _BURN_ **YES!**" Kanra said, throwing up her arms, a pleased grin at her wicked games of entertainment as the thing shriveled and went to _hell._

Namie rolled her eyes after staring at the psycho, pyro of a female that was her boss. "All that," Namie said, in annoyance. "Over a spider."

Kanra ignored her, not even wanting to _think_ about the time where Namie first discovered the great, indestructible Kanra Orihara, deceiver of minds, was arachnaphobic. Correction - _Highly_ arachnaphobic. At that certain incident, one of the said foul demons actually _crawled_ on Kanra.

It. Didn't. End. Freaking. Well. For _anyone._

Thoroughly satisfied with seeing the thing's shriveled body burn to ashes, Kanra stood to get breakfast to eat by the fire, enjoying its warm glow.

Later on, Kanra was placing a piece of her game board down after just exited the chatrooms as she heard a knock at the door. Namie, who was obviously not going to answer it stayed where she was. Sighing, Kanra got up from her spinny chair, and opened the door.

"Welcome, Mr. Harma. Come in."

Kanra stepped back, holding the door open for the clean, crisp man that stepped in. She closed the door and walked past the man, calling over her shoulder. "Care for some tea or water? Or how about a snack?"

The man shook his head no, as they sat down on either side of the couches. Kanra put her feet up and looked at the man from the other side of the flickering flames. (That she had *Namie* put more wood in.)

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It was late that night, around 10:00. Kanra skipped down the more darker streets of Ikebukuro, a silent shadow amongst the night.

Silent. Deadly. Lethal. Dangerous. _Skipping._

She smiled, a giddy feeling spreading through her. Today had been wonderful. Safely tucked in her jacket was some files for transport, given to her by Mr. Harma. Normally she would have Celty do it for her, but Mr. Harma said he needed the best person available to do it. He was a paranoid man by nature. Kanra accepted it anyway because she and a personal sense of satisfaction in delivering these files, which happened to be on a certain person.

Belly full of fatty tuna, paycheck at a high due to the job she was headed to, and all topped off by the day's fight with Shizu-chan. Some unfortunate fire crew had been trying to take care of a car engine fire. After the two of them left, the end result was the fire crews vehicle getting crushed by the flaming car consequently setting the fire crews _own_ vehicle on fire. Kanra let out a laugh, at the sick, twisted idea. She didn't know why but the idea of a firefighter's firehouse or fire truck getting caught on fire seemed hilarious to her.

Kanra was in the middle of a mischievous daydream when a figure behind her peeled itself from the shadows. Kanra felt a prickle at the back of her neck, and in that instant she chocked her laughter, hand at her switchblade in her pocket, eyes hardening as she turned to-

**_CCRRRRRRRRRRAAAACK!_**

Pain. White. Stars.

Kanra was floating, yet falling. She didn't cry out, it would take a hell of a lot more than this to make _Kanra Orihara_ betray any sign of pain. The world swam and Kanra knew she was sunk. She hadn't even felt herself hit the ground.

_Shit._

The last thing she saw through blurred eyes was the warehouse building, and a dark figure. Her mind raced to find details, memorizing what it could, to get her out of this when she woke up. The more she tried the more the world blurred as her vision went fuzzy. Then, black.

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Review Response~!

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TheGirlWhoChangesHerNameAlot 6/29/13 . chapter 2

HA. READ CH 2. Reached my goal for the week.

Kanra is a more of a pyro than izaya neh?  
Spotted a few spelling mistakes here and there but not largely so.  
Not sure what kind of feed back you want.

Does kanra still have the twins for sisters?

-R

I was signed in this time hehe

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xD I see~!

Damn right she is~ hahaha!

Ill have to fix that. Spellcheck sometimes changes things that aren't supposed to be changed or whatever, so yeah~ :P thanks for letting me know~!

Lol any feedback is great!

I don't know. I never mention them in the story, so I think that will be a no.

XD thanks~!

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Aneki 5/15/13 . chapter 2

The first part was pretty funny! Especially since a lot of people don't like spiders, and I think it would be something the reader could understand, y'know? BUT WAIT JUST A DIDDLEYDARN MINUTE BECAUSE THERE'S MORE. The last part was really descriptive like dang son that's EXACTLY how you feel when someone hits you over the back of the head! The thing with the not feeling the ground is really accurate! Yeah just a heads-up I'm definitely not gonna be able to finish these all tonight but I'll definitely get through a few and start again tomorrow byeee

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Why thank you~! SEE, I TOLD YOU NAMIE! NOT EVERYTHING I DO IS ANNOYING! IT'S FUNNY~! Too bad the reader couldn't understand NEARLY GETTING YOUR HEAD PANCAKED BY A TEN INCH THICK BOOK! But its okay, I'm not mad~. oh really? Ill just have to wait a 'diddlydarn minute because there's more.' (lol. You should start advertising my story too. *OKAY SERIOUSLY ANEKI, BEFORE YOU GO AND START DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT, LET ME INTRODUCE A NEW THOUGHT TO YOUR MIND. SARCASM. OR HOW ABOUT, LOL IM JK? :P ok seriously please don't advertise this. ;-;*) lol, I love your choice of words. Like dang son. XD I'm putting you in a fanfiction as a character, you're giving me lines. And lol thanks~ I'm glad because I just guessed on that. I was going for effect in the contrast between the sharp pain, and then utter nothingness.

OH MY GOD NOT ONLY DID YOU REVIEW EVERY CHAPTER SO FAR BUT YOU EXPECTED TO FINISH 20 CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT?! DEAR LORD! YOU HUMAN CHILD! THERE IS NO FATHOMING YOUR LOGIC. LOL


	3. Captured

Hey~! Hopefully my brain doesn't decide this is flawed beyond satisfaction and screams at me to "editeditedit or diediedie." :3 Im still beyond happy with the amount of views I've gotten in only a day so I'll crack down on the fourth chapter. Get excited! there will be a final battle between jerk #2 and Kanra! :3 he's totally dead. Ok enough babbleh from me, read! review! _**KILL THE FOUL DEMONS! **\_^w^/

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Chapter 3 - Captured

A black silky strip of cloth was tied around her eyes. Her back was to a thick metal pole, arms bent around to the back, where her wrists were tied together with a cheap rope. The pole was more like a column, judging from the size of it, and the way they tied her arms in place was uncomfortable. She gave no signs of life, no visible change from where she was before when she was unconscious.

_This? This is it? __**ROPE?**__ Thats all?_

Lightning cracked behind her eyelids as Kanra tried her best to not tense up, to not give any physical movement.

_Pissed off._

_Hell ya that's what I am. What ever dumbass dipshits thought they could kidnap __**Kanra**__ freaking __**Orihara**__ had their asses in deep major shit. I am gonna rain __**hell**__ on them all._

Her mind worked to get back in full gear, giving her time to stew in her absolute rage.

Kanra was slumped against the ground, it was cool. Stone. Concrete. Details of her surroundings filed through her mind, as she attempted to paint a picture of the surroundings that she was blind to. The last image before her world went black flashed behind her eyelids as she recalled the warehouse building.

She still couldn't figure out who the damned figure was but then her ears burned as voices registered for the first time, and she realized they'd been talking since before she woke up.

"...good that we got these medical records on Shizuo Hewajima."

_The files._

_Damn._ Kanra cursed herself for not looking at them more then a passing glance when she took them from Mr. Harma. All she was supposed to do was deliver what was supposed to be was some medical files on Shizuo to be transferred and drop them off at a meeting point. It wasn't anything important enough to put much more than a side note of their transport down in her records.

"...protection now. We know all his weak spots."

_I knew that it wouldn't be good to have these files get in their hands._

"And Orihara. She really came?"

It took all her willpower to not go up to the voice and kick his ass to the Stone Age with people of the same mental level of his own for using that tone, implying she was stupid. She made a mental note to wipe the jerk's ass across Ikebukuro first, then throw him at Shizu-chan. Lord knows he deserves what fate would await him next if she did.

"Yeah-"

_That bitch dies next._

"-I just talked to Harma as an anonymous client and said I needed Shizuo's medical files, and that I needed his best guy to do it. Seems they both fell for it."

Kanra was lifted by the front of her shirt, as jerk #1 said, "Now we finally get to get back at this bitch f-"

He was attempting to say _'for all the shit she put us through.'_ but before that could happen Kanra's self control snapped, as she dropped her act and swung her foot around, cleanly connecting it with his jaw as her other switch blade dropped from her sleeve into her palm. Kanra flicked the blade out and cut the rope, her hands reaching for the blindfold before-

**WHAM!**

She went flying forward, connecting with the ground with a sharp blow, momentarily knocking the breath out of her as she slid and came to a stop on her arm was held out to the side, her fingers gripping the knife as a damned boot crushed her wrist. A fist connected to the cheekbone below her left eye, her head snapping to the right.

Kanra took the chance to rip off the bindfold, and as soon as she saw the sour face grinning horribly down at her, boot still on her pained wrist, a bucket of ice dumped in her veins when recognition dawned on her.

_Shit._

Her hand shot out to strike jerk #2's knee cap but not before another boot connected with her side, bruising the ribcage painfully.

_Oh freaking HELL NO._

She yanked her wrist out from under jerk #2's boot and shot up. Time slowed as she kicked her right leg under jerk #2's feet, then spinning a full circle and brought her right elbow down hard on the still airborne ass hole, putting all her weight on it as she slammed him to the ground.

Jack ass vs. pointy hard elbows? Elbows win.

Just as fast she was on her feet again. She held her switchblade out with her right hand extended, as she backed up against the wall. She was surrounded by a small group of twelve.

Movement caught the corner of her left eye and she turned to find jerk #1 instantly shrivel under her piercing, flaming stare, recoiling back. Clearly he decided against what he was going to do.

_Hell yeah. _Kanra thought, satisfaction bringing a smile to her lips as she grinned coolly.

Her left arm hardly twitched and he found himself pinned to the ground by the collar of his shirt with the edge of one of Kanra's throwing blades barely grazing his neck so fast it took several moments for him to realize what happened. Not soon enough, however, to be able to avoid looking considerably comical with a stupid look of utter confusion on his face.

Once he did realize what happened he decided to save his sorry ass by not. freaking. moving. a muscle.

Smart choice.

Jerk #2 was still occupied associating himself with what no doubt, had to have felt like a train to the gut as he had to get help getting off the floor.

"Get...her..." he choked out, wisely not calling her any colorful names like Jerk #1 had made the mistake of doing. Either that or he was still too winded.

Just then some guy in a sweatshirt rushed at her, and in an almost _bored_ way, Kanra stepped to the right making a fist with her left hand and raising her arm so the guys head (he had tried to tackle her) passed underneath her, and brought her elbow down on his back, in one solid, fluid motion. She grinned.

It was then that jerk #2 decided to make yet another attempt at earning the prize for racking up the most death warrants, courtesy of a considerably pissed off Kanra, as he started forward. He held some metal bar as if it were a bat over his left shoulder, intending to swing at Kanra. At that moment Kanra realized that he was the bitch that knocked her out.

_Oh you are __**soooooooooooooo**__ going to freaking __**die**__ and __**burn!**_

Kanra effortlessly stepped forward as she ducked down, a move she used with Shizu-chan and countless street lamps, signs, and a couple of the occasional metal street barrier. By now Kanra thought the city got a little smart and didn't replace those anymore, since they weren't needed like the signs were; and instead of sending crews who were already busy cleaning up the rest to take the remaining ones down, Kanra suspected they just let the remaining few be left there to be eventually removed by Shizu-chan.

But apparently jerk #2 had other ideas. He swung down sharply, the metal rod connecting painfully with the back of her skull, and this time it was so much _worse_. Sharp shocks of pain tore through her and Kanra fell to the floor.

But this time, it _hurt._

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Ok I know, there is an incredibly amount of lame insults here, but let me explain it. As Kanra is in fights such as these, she tends to go on little rants where she will throw in every cuss word or insult she can because it helps motivate her along. If anything, part of the reason she tends to smile while fighting is because she goes on said rants and is grinning at a joke only she would understand as she pictures various was to get revenge. Thats just her personality.

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Review Response~!

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Rain 7/6/13 . chapter 3

This chap wasn't bad. tho you did gesture to that hahaha

Reached goal in the knick of time :'D

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Thanks~! Lol

darn, I was just thinking about that. I'm like, 'sould I tease her about that since she had said she wanted to read ch. 2 and would get it done in a week? Nah, I won't, its not like I expect her to read it.' And yet you do lol. *im starting to wonder if people are taking me literally when I tease them...*

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Aneki 5/15/13 . chapter 3

YO I LOVE ME SOME ACTION SCENES haha yeah seriously they were written pretty well and PARDON MY CRITICISM ABOUT YOUR RUN-ON SENTENCES BUT THEY ARE VERY RUN-ON. It's like that one person who keeps laughing at a joke after everyone else stops and it's like  
what are you doing  
stop  
why aren't you stopping  
But yeah other than that everything is really well coordinated and wow who are these guys? it is a mystery

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Lol, you and me both. Thanks~! run on sentences are very run on... Hm... I understand the universe now. (translation: you don't say? Lol :p) AND OH MY GOD THE NEXT PART WITH LAUGHING MADE ME LAUGH LONGER THAN I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY, MAYBE IDK. XDDD mystery it is.


	4. Old Enemy

Heyy Hoo~! .-. This chapter is uneventful, things may be a little slow now, but I promise they get better! ;n; Its seriously driving me crazy not knowing what my humans think of my story though, so reviews are appreciated~! It is nice to see readers stay with the story, thank you~! I just hope Im doing everything right and I'm not boring you to sleep. It would help to hear what you all think! Please review~! Let me know what you think~!

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Chapter 4 - Old Enemy

A silent gasp slipped past Kanra's lips as she struck the floor.

_How did I let myself get hit? That __never__ happens._

Kanra fought to keep herself under control, not wanting to ruin her composure. This was street fighting. You expect pain. Kanra wouldn't let herself get caught up in shock. This, however, had been far worse then she could remember ever being hurt.

Hands grabbed her and dragged her up by the elbows. She fought back thrashing until she was kicked in the gut and punched in the face, splitting her lip and quickly filling her mouth with blood.

"Long time no see, Kanra." A voice said, as a familiar pair of boots stopped just in front of her.

Kanra curled her fingers into white-knuckled fists. She spat hard, clearing her mouth and throat of blood, and lifted her head to gave a satisfied grin as it splattered all over jerk #2's shoes and pants.

"Hello... Taisho." Kanra said in a defiantly audacious tone, cocking her head and glaring with a flippant smirk playing about her lips.

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"Last time I saw you, you were facedown in the mud, and your gang was history. Too bad you washed your face. The mud was an improveme-" Kanra said before she was cut off with a punch to her gut.

"Shut up. I've waited a long time for this." Taisho said. "You've caused us a lot of shit, Kanra."

"Yeah, I have." Kanra laughed. She couldn't help grinning. _Does he even realise how ridiculous he just sounded? I mean come on, his little tough guy act is so pathetic it's almost adorable_. Taisho's face twisted in complete anger, which earned her a smug sense of satisfaction, despite the following blow to the head.

"Well now it's our turn. There will be no slipping out of this one, Kanra. We know where you live, have ways to get into your boss's system, and even if you turn every suspicious job down, you can't hide forever. And if you try, we'll just come in there ourselves. And kill you. While you've been off playing games with Ikebukuro and Shizuo, we've been in the shadows, waiting."

Kanra rolled her eyes. Could this guy get anymore dramatic? He was like some cheesy classic bad guy charecter come to life.

"You're trapped, Kanra. There is no way out. You can't hide, and when you show your face you are in deep shit. There is no one to turn to, and no way to escape. You can't prance away from us, we've got numbers. And if you do sink so low as to ask for help, we'll kill whoever it is. But I bet there isn't a soul who would. The only other threats for us are that Simon character, and Shizuo Hewajima. But Simon is a pacifist and as long as we stay clear of Shizuo we're good. But in case we aren't, we have this." Taisho said, pulling out the file.

"Every injury, flaw, and weakness that has ever been recorded is in this file. We know exactly where to hit, but that is only in the event of an emergency. And besides," he continued, leaning close to her ear. "we have you to toy with."

_I just realized something. I really hate those cheesey bad guy charecters. They are annoying. They don't know when to shut up._

Kanra was able to slip free enough to jam her shoulder into his fat nose. He cried out, dropping the files and holding his nose. The sudden release on her arm when she slipped free had made her lose her balance, and Kanra had to take a step forward so she didn't fall. A hand gripped her shoulder tightly, trying to pull her back.

"Hold her down!" Taisho said thickly. His nose bled heavily and Kanra could see half of it was shoved unnaturally to the side. Her widened even more at the obvious break.

Kanra's grin turned into a scoul as her arms were held in right angles above her back, her shoulders were pushed down so the back of her neck was exposed. She couldn't break free of their grip, and she watched as Taisho grabbed the metal bar.

He swung, and a sharp pain split across her back as he struck the base of her neck splitting the skin open. A trickle of blood ran down her spine as Kanra wordlessly sank to her knees.

Laughter filled the place as they began to leave. "See you soon, Kanra." Taisho spat, and she could do nothing as the people holding her arms threw her roughly to the blood stained ground. She was kicked a couple of times and stepped on, as the world slowly began to fade at the edges.

* * *

Kanra's eyes opened as she woke in a considerably large puddle of blood. She gently touched the wound on her back, wincing as the movement opened it up again, and it oozed slowly. She dropped her hand into the blood with a tiny _splish_ and slowly forced herself to get up. She was stiff, and movement wasn't necessarily on her side at the moment.

A million thoughts swirled around her, but she pushed them all down. She didn't think anything at all, determined to get up. Once on her feet she remained perfectly still as the world swirled around her, waiting patiently for it do get done with its antics.

Thankfully it was early morning, and she met no one on the streets of Ikebukuro, as she took the quickest route home possible.

Kanra finally stumbled in her apartment just as the sky was becoming a light blue, and as she checked the clock she saw it was 5:30.

Kanra climbed up the stairs and took off her combat boots and decided to shrug out of her jacket before stepping in the shower clothes and all.

All the warm water was used up by the time Kanra was finished, and after getting dressed in a clean pair of clothes she went back in the bathroom, picked up her blood and water soaked clothes and tossed them all in the wash after removing all of her hidden blades.

She left the pile of weapons next to her jacket, which would go in a separate wash, and grabbed medical supplies before sitting on the black couch of the second floor. Not even wanting to try to figure out how she was going to fix the cut on the back, she just slapped a square stick-on bandage on it and used medical wrap to bandage a gash on her upper left arm, a second gash on her right forearm, as well as her wrist. Her wrist was probably broken but Kanra couldn't really care less at the moment.

Needing a mirror to patch up the cut on the side of her face (which is where most of the blood was from - head wounds bleed a lot) she picked up the medical things to tend to it. There was still the nasty cut along the cheek bone of her left eye, but Kanra ignored it.

Kanra didn't bother to take of her second, unbloodied, pair of black combat boots before collapsing on the nearest couch on the first floor and falling asleep.


	5. Kanra Won't Fall

Heyy Hoo~ Im sorry its so boring at the begining, hopefully Kanra was able to keep you from falling asleep. Review please~! It bugs me to not know what your thinking of my story~ Im naturally curious! I hope you enjoy the suspenseful (hopefully since that is what I was going for.) ending.

EDIT EDIT EDIT

OHMAHGAWD YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BELIEVE HOW SURPRISED I AM AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME! (Although Im willing to bet you have an idea unless people talk in all caps in _**Spain, UK, Germany, Canada, Italy, Philipines, Hungary, US, and/or the United Arab**_ **_Emirates!_** Im just waiting for someone in China to read this and tell me they found my _JAW_ because I think that is where it has gone. *Yes yes i know im very funny haha im not creative deal with it* :P still, its cool to know that I have people worldwide that read my story.

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Chapter 5 - Kanra Won't Fall

Namie Yagiri stood outside the wood door, frowning at the silver handle. She was late. Kanra had told her to come in a bit early this morning to dig up the second copy of Shizuo Heiwajima's medical files. She checked her watch. The tiny hands told 8:30. Namie's grip on the strap of her bag tightened, bracing for the annoying lecture or insulting comments that were for sure to come her way. Hell, she'd probably find Kanra playing with some of her weapons, or spinning in her chair like always.

Namie fished out her keys, placing one hand on the knob as she tried to find the right one. The door opened silently at her slight touch, and Namie frowned.

Kanra never has this door unlocked.

Namie put her keys away, stepping away from the door and pulling out her pepper spray. She started carrying it around ever since that day with Shingen Kishitani. Of course she had her own little tricks added to it so it had more of a kick to it than any standard pepper spray.

She slowly opened the door, thankful that it swung inwards without a noise. She placed her bag in a nearby corner, looking around cautiously, keeping the spray hidden in the cuff of her sleeve.

She scanned the bookshelves, looking for anything out of place. She walked further into the apartment, and her eyes feel on the couch. As soon as her eyes fell on Kanra's legs on the arm of the couch in one of her usual lazy positions, Namie had the urge to spray her boss.

Yet almost immediately after, Namie had a feeling something was wrong. She walked up to the couch, surprised to find that Kanra was either passed out or asleep, with bandages here and there.

She was stretched out in a relaxed position, one wrist over her eyes to shield them from the light of the sun which was starting to shine through the clouds. One of the major clues was how her other hand was held out, the tips of her fingers brushing the side of the fire pit. After yesterday's episode, Namie knew there would be no way she would have fallen asleep knowingly touching it.

She should have been on her feet before I even got to her, Kanra is a really light sleeper. Even if you don't make a noise at all, its almost like she can sense you're there.

Namie sighed, eyes flickering back down at Kanra to see of that woke her up. No, she wasn't playing around. She was legitimately asleep. Or unconscious. With yet another irritated sigh, Namie got up and fixed the crappy job done on bandaging the wounds.

* * *

Kanra woke to find it was 9:00, and that Namie was working in the corner of the library. She smiled and silently went to go put the clothes from the washer machine in the dryer and put her jacket in the wash. About halfway there she noticed that her bandages were a lot neater than they were when she fell asleep. She stared a moment, then smirked. That woman was a strange one.

Kanra brought her blood stained combat boots down with her and set to wiping them off as Namie worked. She noticed the woman didn't say a thing about the blood, or the bandages; and had shut herself off into her own little world. Whatever, its not like Kanra missed the looks and occasional complaint or opinionated comments.

She had a killer headache though, and a ton of thoughts swirled angrily though her mind. She just listed the facts.

_Taisho was back. He was stronger. Kanra had no way out. She couldn't stay or they'd come here. She wasn't scared, but it frustrated her when her humans began to turn back on her. Its then that they became her enemies. They needed to be put out. Kanra couldn't put them out. What was worse was that they had Shizu-chan's medical records. If they were actually crazy enough to fight Shizuo, they might be crazy enough to actually hurt him._

Wait, why did she care? She should be thrilled. Confusion swelled up like a tidal wave, and the thoughts just swirled around more. Nothing made sense. All Kanra knew was that there was no way she was going to let them get to Shizu-chan. She had a strong gut pull telling her to make sure of that, and Kanra trusted her gut instincts. They were something to be relied upon as an informant. She knew they'd be mad to try, but she couldn't risk underestimating her enemy. There may not be a threat now, but she had to make sure it wasn't a threat later.

* * *

When Kanra decided the cuts were healed enough to take the bandages off later that day, she was careful to not move too much and risk reopening the damaged skin. She did like the look of the gash on her left cheek, though. The thought made her smirk. Kanra guessed she was gonna have to like it though, because it probably was gonna turn to a scar. At least the major cut -which would for damn sure be a scar- was right along the hairline where it would be hard to notice.

Kanra sighed. She had spent all day trying to find out anything she could about Taisho, but got nothing. Irritating. Very irritating.

Finally Kanra stood, grabbed her jacket and a few extra blades and stepped out the door, deciding she needed a walk to clear her head.

* * *

Kanra walked through Ikebukuro minutes later, with the hood of her fussy jacket up. She slipped by like a shadow, noticed by no one, her mind deep in thought.

"Oh Kanraaa."

Kanra stiffened. Her hand gripped the switchblade in her pocket as she slowly turned her head, to see Taisho and a group of his men walking towards her, armed with various things. Taisho was dragging the metal bar along the ground, and had one hand in his pocket.

_Shit._

Kanra bolted, turning down an alleyway, kicking down garbage cans and boxes as she passed, trying to block their path. When Kanra saw a figure run into the alleyway ahead of her, cutting her off, Kanra jumped up on a garbage bin.

In one fluid motion, Kanra landed on the edge, pressing down with all she had, pushing off it and jumping towards the wall across the alley. Just as she was about to scale the opposite wall, she was grabbed by her ankle.

Kanra was pulled down and thrown onto the garbage bin, and her ankle cracked against the hard metal rim. She bit back a cry, before she was grabbed by the collar and thrown on the ground, her head hitting the wall.

Kanra got to her feet, just to have someone grab her shirt and slam her against the wall. The cuts began to re-open, and bleed.

_Well, shit._

She slashed out with her blade, cutting the person in front of her across the chest, then spinning and kicking him in the jaw, sending him flying a couple of feet to the right. Kanra then whirled swinging her blade, then connecting her fist with another guys face, knocking him out cold.

Kanra kicked at one of the men, and he grabbed her ankle and twisted it. Kanra grit her teeth and kicked again harder, as if her ankle wasn't on fire at the moment. She managed to connect it with his chest, bruising the guy's ribs.

* * *

**Wham!**

Kanra doubled over as she was nailed in the gut. The spare switchblade was broken, the handle kicked under the garbage bin. Kanra suspected the blade was buried somewhere in her side, because it just wouldn't stop bleeding.

Kanra slid down the wall, and tried to focus on the colored clouds as the sun set. Twenty minutes had gone by, and she was just about sick of this.

She got to her feet, using the blood-stained brick wall to steady herself. Her left hand was clutched to her side, trying uselessly to stop the bleeding. She couldn't really trust her ankle %100 and having spent enough time with her face to the ground with these people, she wasn't about to let her full weight on it.

Stepping forward she dodged the attack of a guy in a blue shirt, and elbowed him in the back of the head, smiling in a sadistic way as she heard his face connect with brick wall.

_Payback is a bitch, isn't it?_

There were now three of the guys left, not counting Taisho, and the rest had either limped away, or were dragged.

Kanra readied her stance, and was about to take a step forward when her vision suddenly went blindingly white, as her brain felt like Shizu-chan were trying to rip it clean in two. It was all Kanra could do to keep from screaming in the agony, as she crumpled to the ground, both hands gripping at her skull. The pain seemed to spread, and finally, after a good 20 seconds, her vision somewhat returned.

"God Kanra, I must admit it pleases me greatly to see you look like this. You look like shit." Taisho said.

"I guess I do. I can only imagine how you could stand it everyday." Kanra said, her voice thick with a sarcastic additude... And blood.

That earned Kanra a sharp kick to the back of her head, which brought back the white pain, but only for a brief moment.

She heard them leave, and when she was sure she was alone, her hand returned to her side. Since none of her lovely humans were around to see her so disgustingly _weak_, Kanra allowed herself a few moments before having to peel herself off the ground and walk home.

Unfortunately since the sun had just set, a lot of her precious humans were still milling about. She couldn't let them see their goddess like this.

_Weak, defeated. It just wasn't right._

Calling on her pride, Kanra pulled herself up, leaning against the wall for support. Her hand slipped on the blood and she sliced her palm on a protruding rusty nail. Damn thing.

Kanra stumbled painfully on her ankle, and made her way to the end of the alley. She prayed no one would see her, hoping it was dark enough to hide the blood stains on her clothes, and the trickle of blood dripping down her fingers.

"KAANNRRAAAAA!"

_Oh **hell**._

A street sign crashed just in front of her, narrowly missing her. Her mind raced, trying to find a snappy comeback, before running like hell. If Shizu-chan hadn't seen the state she was in already, he was going to soon and she didn't want to have to try to explain her buisness to a person with the intelligence equivalent to a brick wall, especially when she found she didn't understand it herself.

"Shizu-chan~, must you be so mean? " Kanra said, hoping she didn't sound as pained as she felt. But a real smile spread across her lips as her own words reached her ears. She sounded confident. There may just be a chance of getting out of this.

* * *

Review Response~!

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Shin Paino 2/17/13 . chapter 5

Nooo where's the rest D: The pace is going a little fast, but I still want to find out what will happen next XD

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Lol thanks~! Yeah, its kinda fast paced. All for a reason though~ :D

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Aneki 5/16/13 . chapter 5

Eheeh, the amount of violence is positively lovely! And I liked how Kanra thought about how she probably deserved it, even though it nearly ripped my heart into a million little pieces! You did that thing that authors do, with an absolutely invincible character! And then they break them down, beat them to the ground and drag them through the dust. Bad luck and misfortune seem to follow her around! And that's great! I cannot wait to see if she BR8KS! ::::)

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oh my gosh, the inner Kanra in me is thrilled with this review. The way you said how they destroy their characters, and everything is perfect. I think everyone reading this agrees. And DARNIT ANEKI WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO DARN GOOD?! BECAUSE IF I WERE A READER, I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO PUT IT BETTER! i especially love how you are looking forward to seeing if she breaks. *pokerface*


	6. Aftermath

I know I am saying this a lot, and I shall say it yet again. I'm having difficulties with Internet, and life. There is little time where I can get on the ipad to write, and there are many irritating and infuriating things in Author-chama's life that are affecting it right now. I'm really sorry, I wish I could update sooner. It is incredibly infuriating to see all my wonderful sempai-tachi viewing my story so much and having my list of readers grow, when I can do nothing to update as I should be. Trying to find a bright side, I guess when *hopefully* things do clear up I'll have a couple of chapters for you~!

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Chapter 6 - Aftermath

Shizuo could tell the parasite was nearby. Thoroughly pissed off, he bent the cigarette he had been smoking in half, and threw it on the ground. He looked around and tried to find the little cancer of Ikebukuro. Frustrated, he tried to pull another cigarette out, but couldn't.

_"Damn it!"_ Shizuo yelled, and he threw the new box of cigarettes to the side. Unfortunately, some unlucky squirrel was struck square in the chest with the box of cigarettes. Poor squirrel.

Just then he saw the parasite walking down the streets. She didn't seem to know he was there.

_Perfect._

A wide grin spread across Shizuo's face as he ripped out a street sign.

"KAANNRRAAAAA!"

The parasite froze, and the sign nearly missed her. She turned. "Shizu-chan~, must you be so mean?" Shizuo balled his fists as a contented smile spread across her lips. She was standing well in the shadows, so he couldn't see her all that well.

* * *

_Go away go away **go away!**_

Thought Kanra, annoyed, as Shizu-chan started coming towards her. Her fingers brushed the last throwing blade she had, and she looked from the Shizu-chan that was ripping a car door off, to the alley, a yard to her left. She waited a few moments before throwing the blade, which stuck in the metal of the car door that Shizu-chan now held in front of his face, then bolted down the alley.

Kanra jumped up on the garbage bin, trying to climb the lower wall opposite to the blood stained one behind her. Just as she pushed her self up, the garbage bin tipped forward, falling on its front, conveniently covering most of the blood stains on the ground.

Kanra's vision began to blacken as she ran around to hide behind the other side of the little box like thing, with the doorway to a stairwell. She could only hope Shizu-chan didn't have the brains to figure out a way to get up here. Pulling out her phone, she flipped it open and sent a text to Celty.

_[ Rooftops. Central Park. Hurry. ]_

Hoping Celty would understand, Kanra let her head fall back against the wall. Then everything went black.

* * *

Shizuo had just entered the alley when the garbage bin fell back, and he saw the parasite just make it over the top of the roof. Knowing there was no way he'd be able to keep up with the little parkour master, Shizuo gave up.

He felt his toe kick something and looked down. Setting the car door against the wall he picked the object up, and recognized it to be the handle of one of Kanra's switchblades. The blade seemed to be broken off.

_Wierd..._

Shizuo had never known Kanra to break a blade... Just then he took a closer look at the throwing blade embedded in the door. Noticing a strange dark smear he pulled it out. Was it... Blood?

Strange.

He pocketed the two items, and walked away.

* * *

Celty felt her PDA vibrate and she pulled it out. It was a message from Kanra, but not from her work phone. Strange. She felt she better read it.

_[ Rooftops. Central Park. Hurry. ]_

"What's wrong Celty? You look worried. Is everything ok?" Shinra asked.

_tap tap tap tap_

_[ Yeah, I just got a text from Kanra. I think she's hurt. ]_

"Oh, ok. I'll get my stuff ready. Be careful!" He shouted after her, as she was already leaving.

Celty finally found Kanra collapsed against a rooftop stairwell, covered in blood. There was a gash across her forehead, and another one by her ear. There was a cut below one of her eyes that look older than the others, as well as a couple cuts on her arms.

What worried her was a clearly broken right wrist with a large deep gash in the palm of her hand, and blood on her right ride. Kanra's ankle looked pretty bad, and Celty was concerned with the amount of blood in the alley below.

Even though Celty didn't have a head, she could "see" the blood stains on the wall and ground, even though there was a garbage bin on top of it. Gently picking up the light informant, Celty got on her bike as shadows covered Kanra's head, making a helmet for her as she sped off into the night.

* * *

_{Beep. Beep. Beep.}_

_Shut up._

_{Beep. Beep. Beep.}_

_Damn it. I'll freaking burn that noise._

"Oh, hey Kanra. You're awake."

_...I'll burn that one too._

Kanra eyes opened and she squinted, trying to lift her arm to cover her eyes. Standing above her was Shinra, an underground medical doctor. Also a childhood friend. Shinra had taken care of Kanra many times before, when she would get injured mastering parkour skills as a child, or got into fights with Shizu-chan.

"As you know you're at my place." He said, cheery as ever. "My wonderful, beautiful Celty~ came when she got your text message, and brought you here, nearly dead from blood loss. Isn't she just amazi-" Shinra's voice got all lovey and dopey, and Kanra had to whack him in the gut to cut him off. It hurt her wrist, but she just placed it back over her closed eyes. It was worth it.

"You have a sprained ankle, but aside from being bruised you should be okay in a day or so. I stitched up the cut on your palm, and your wrist wasn't seriously broken. With the way you heal so quickly, you should be good in about two weeks. I've also stitched up the wound to your side, and oh, here is your blade back." Kanra felt Shinra place the broken blade in her palm.

Kanra nodded, suddenly feeling sleepy. She opened her eyes and saw Shinra injecting something into an IV in her arm. "Get some rest." He said. Even if Kanra wanted to say anything, she wouldn't have been able to, before feeling herself sinking into oblivion.

* * *

Kanra's eyes opened. From what she could tell by the lighting in the room, it was about 5:30 in the morning. The EKG and IV stand were gone, and she was laying on the couch. She sat up, taking off the black blanket covering her, and putting her head in her hands, the heels of her palm pressing against her forehead.

Her wrist was in a plastic splint, with the medical bandage wrapped around her forearm and once between her thumb and hand. Lifting up her shirt, (Celty had gotten Kanra a clean pair of clothes from Kanra's office) Kanra saw her stomach was bandaged. Testing her ankle, she was relieved to see it was fine, and she got up.

Kanra picked up her jacket, which was draped over the arm rest of the couch. She pulled out the broken blade from her pocket and turned it over in her bandaged palm.

"Good to see your awake, Kanra."

_Good god, does that man ever sleep?_

"Thanks." She said, turning around. "I owe you one, Shinra. Celty too."

"Don't worry about it. Just... be careful, okay?" Shinra said, his smile fading a little.

Kanra nodded, slipping her jacket on. Just as she was stepping out the door, Shinra called to her.

"Oh, wait. Kanra, have you had any chronic head pain? Like, a concussion? You have some bruises on your head. I also noticed the cut on the back of your neck. You were really lucky that it was only skin damage. Even though it wasn't near the brain stem, there could've been significant damage to your spinal cord. You're lucky you weren't paralyzed. If anything happens, call me, ok?"

_I bet that was Taisho's intention too. _Kanra thought.

She nodded. "Alright Shinra. I'll call you if anything comes up." With that she closed the door behind her, taking off to go home.

* * *

:3 Oh my god, these numbers! They rise like Shizu-chans blood pressure when Izaya is around~! pwosh! *mimes roof explosion by raising arms.* \(^u^)/ HIDE ALL THE SQUIRRELS~! XD

An EKG (or ECG) is an Electrocardiogram, or heart monitor. This chapter had a couple different short POVs. (Point Of Views~), which was interesting to try.

Anyways~, Im happy with the possible brain damage Kanra has. (XD in a non-sadistic way.) More on that later. *i have plans~* Again, I don't know when I can get a chance to update next. Forgive me for being evil, but I wish it were more suspenseful. Lol, if I had to have a gap in time between two chapters, I'd prefer it to be as suspenseful as possible. :3 oh well. Review~! Let me know your thoughts~!


	7. Shadow in the Dark

I never expected my story to be so popular so fast, and this is just my first fanfiction! This is incredible! I'm happy to hear that people are enjoying it, and I have had more than one reader inform me that they didn't usually like genderbending, but I managed to make them like it. SERIOUSLY CHINA READ THIS THEN TELL ME THEY FOUND MY JAW. ALSO, I THINK THE FLOOR IS BROKEN. :3 Lol, moving on from lame jokes. (I'm tired, sorry! X3 )

Here it is~! Chapter 7~! I'm quite happy with this chapter. It sets something up that will happen later on in the story. \^v^/ I'm sorry this took so long to get posted, I'm trying my best.

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Chapter 7 - Shadow in the Dark

Kanra's fingers released, and she heard the familiar sound of the arrow slicing through the air and hitting the target with a _thunk_. She loved that sound, and the feeling as if she became weightless when she fired it, as light as the arrow in mid flight towards the target.

It was one of the reasons she took up archery in the first place. Sitting on the banister she leaned back, using her well developed stomach muscles to not fall a complete 180° from where she was before, and stayed somewhere around 135°.

She knocked the arrow in the fingers of her right hand, holding the bow with her left. Kanra kept her eyes locked on the target she had put in the fireplace.

_Breathe in,_

She drew her bow back slowly, the lower digit of her thumb at the corner of her right eye, just at the cheek bone. She held the bow so she didn't grip the handle, letting it press against the pad of her palm directly below her thumb.

A mistake many new archers make is gripping the bow, which when fired, causes thier wrists to twirk back, which moves the bow, which then moves the arrow, messing up the shot.

_Breathe out._

Her form was perfect, developed almost naturally; she hardly needed the arm guard to protect her from getting snapped by the bowstring when she first learned. Letting the bowstring roll expertly off the tips of her fingers, Kanra fired a second time. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the target right in the center.

At the sound of keys fumbling at the door, Kanra swung back up without using her hands to help her, still holding the bow in her left hand and reaching for another arrow with her right. Gripping the banister with her right hand, Kanra stepped over with her back to the wooden railing, and hooked her boots under the bottom of it.

She let herself fall forward, knocking the arrow and drawing it back, stopping with the drawn arrow an inch from a startled face, aimed directly between their eyes, in one fluid motion. Kanra kept her face blank, a slight frown on her lips as she stared the tall woman eye-to-eye.

**_"KANRA ORIHARA GET THAT (cuss word of your choosing) ARROW OUT OF MY FACE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL KICK YOUR SORRY ASS TO JUPITER SO FAST YOU WON'T HAVE TIME TO EVEN THINK OF A SMART ASS COMMENT!"_** The woman shrieked.

Kanra laughed, letting herself drop, twisting in mid air so she landed softly on her feet. An unbearably irritating grin spread wide across her face, and her eyes sparkled in laughter. Just as Kanra opened her mouth, the angry Namie interrupted Kanra before she even could start to say a word.

"I said,_ SHUT UP_! It was peaceful enough while you were gone, but now I come in and find you have been firing arrows all over the place and aiming at the multiple cardboard boxes scattered everywhere. I so much as blink and then there you are, pointing an arrow between my eyes!"

Kanra laughed again at the flustered woman, doubting she did much while Kanra was away. "Oh Namie-chan~," Kanra sang, "I wouldn't kill you~! I would miss your complaints, insults, and death threats too much~! And besides, who would I pay to hate my guts, boss around, and give me your unique, wonderful charm~? I doubt anyone would wake me up quite like you. It takes a lot to drop a ten inch thick book near Kanra Orihara's head~!

"Ikebukuro, Kanra, you could pay Ikebukuro to hate your guts. The entire city does. Hear me? All of your precious humans wish you would drop dead." Namie said, walking to her desk and throwing the box that was on top of it in the corner. That display of well-managed anger sent Kanra on a third bout of laughter, so much her side hurt, but not from the wound.

* * *

Kanra was watching the sunset from her perch on the banister, facing the windows. Just after the sun set, Kanra heard a knock at the door. Namie had left the second she was done with work, and Kanra knew there was no way she would return. Hopping down soundlessly onto the carpet, she flicked out the switchblade. Looking out the peep hole, she saw the hallway was empty. At her feet was a envelope that had been pushed under the door.

She picked it up, slicing the top open with her knife, and pulling out a note as she slowly walked towards her desk. She froze halfway there, heart in her throat.

Why did she feel like this now, and with him being the one they were now after, of all people? On the note, written in a sloppy scrawl, read:

_Your punishment for disappearing has passed over you. It now falls on Hewajima._

She walked up to the window, looking down with a blank face. A familiar group of people were crossing the street. One stopped, then turned and waved at Kanra.

_Taisho_.

The note crumpled in her fist, and as soon as they had left, she sprang up the steps. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

A few minutes later, a silent shadow flew across the rooftops, leaping from building to building. It was dressed fully in black, everything covered except for the eyes.

She had met with Celty, and Celty helped Kanra disguise herself. She promised and explanation later, but Celty had waved it off. It was her idea to use contacts, to make her eyes as black as obsidian.

Kanra had brought her bow, and the quiver of arrows was strapped to her back. In addition, she had her sword, with a three foot blade. She couldn't use her signature knives. She wasn't going to let herself be identified, by either Shizu-chan or Taisho's men.

She let instinct guide her, and soon she came across Shizu-chan, walking along an alley, smoking a cigarette. Shizu-chan was apparently lost in thought, because he ended up walking straight into a dead end. There was a old building that collapsed in a fire, and a mountain of the charred rubble blocked the way.

_Idiot_. Kanra thought, as she watched Taisho's group approach Shizuo. Taisho wasn't there, however. _Typical. Taisho is such a coward._

* * *

Shizuo stopped just short of a large pile of rubble, the remains of what must have once been a building. He bent the cigarette he was smoking, and rubbed it into the ground with the toe of his shoe. He turned around, and saw a group of men grinning and walking towards him.

One of them stepped forward and raised a crowbar. However, before Shizuo could do anything, an arrow streaked through the air, and caught the crowbar right at the gap, knocking it out of his hands.

...wait, an arrow?

In the next split second a solid black figure, a shadow really, dropped down and a long streak of silver slashed diagonally across the guy's chest. The figure rushed forward, jumping and landing in the heart of the group, which was in the intersection between two alley ways.

All Shizuo could do was watch, as one guy flew from the center of the group, landing on his back where he stayed still. Then another was knocked back, and got pinned to a wooden board propped up against the wall by an arrow, before the board snapped in half and fell on him.

Shizuo was able to catch a few glimpses of the Shadow, which he determined was female, and saw a sword slashing. Finally there were three left, one ran at the Shadow, but she just gripped his collar and flipped him, slamming him down on a second guy, then spinning and kicking the third guy in the jaw.

Shizuo walked closer, stopping three feet from the Shadow. She put her sword in its sheath, and stared him in the eyes. His breath caught in his throat, frozen my the burning black obsidian eyes.

_Who is she?_

* * *

Ok yes, there is quite a bit of archery. :3 It was fun to be able to use some of the more classic yet still highly badass weapons that sadly aren't in common use today. Now these days its all about guns and explosives (don't get me wrong, _love_ explosions and all *not an arson though, I just like fire*) and no one would realistically bring a sword or bow to a gunfight. Archery is having a bit of a moment though, with movies like the hunger games, that one superhero movie with the dude with the bow that I can't think of, and others. Altough that isn't why I got into archery, I have just simply always loved the sport. I myself have a bow I bought last August for my birthday, and the guy at the store was an archery-fanatic. Just to be clear on one thing, the stance you have when you hold a bow could result in getting snapped when the bowstring as it flys by your arm. I wasn't sure if that was clear. For those of you that don't arch, please, send me a PM and I can give you all the information I know, or simply clarify on anything.

The thing with Celty helping out Kanra also sets up a future event. *still has plans.*


	8. The Mind of a Fighter

It's Here~! Finally~! Chapter 8~!

Please review, it really helps a lot when I get your support and input. What do you think of the story? Any suggestions? ^w^ Im sorry it took so long, I've been busy.

* * *

Chapter 8 - The Mind of a Fighter

Kanra watched from the rooftop as a guy stepped forward, raising a crow bar. In a flash, her right leg was on the edge of the roof, bow drawn. Eyes narrowing, she fired, and it whistled through the air. She slipped the bow on, securing it, the jumping down. She landed lightly on her feet, back to Shizu-chan, and pulled out her sword, slashing it across the chest of the guy in front of her.

She sprang into the air, jumping over the guy, and landing in the center of the intersecting alleyways. She kicked a guy square in the chest, sending him flying, then pulling out her bow, firing and arrow, swinging it around to smack another guy in the head, and the returning it to where it was before. She punched, elbowed, kicked, and slashed.

She grabbed a guy by the collar of his shirt with her left hand, sweeping his legs up with her right arm and rolling him over her shoulders and back, flipping him so his feet kicked the guy to her left in the head, before slamming him to the ground, then spinning, kicking the guy behind her in the jaw.

She felt Shizu-chan step forward, and sheathed her sword before turning to stare him dead in the eyes. She heard his breath hitch in his throat. Her wrist hurt from punching people, but Kanra knew it was fine.

"Who... Who _are_ you?" Shizu-chan asked, obviously dumbfounded. Kanra didn't answer, just simply turned and sprinted, vanishing into the shadows.

* * *

Kanra pulled of the mask covering her head and ran her fingers through her hair, as she stepped int her apartment. She tucked her weapons away, and pulled off the suit, so she was in her regular clothes she had worn underneath, all but the jacket. Kanra placed the suit and mask in her closet, and grabbed her jacket, pulling it on and going to crash on one of the couches on the top floor.

* * *

The next day was anti-climatic after the exciting night before. Work went by slowly, and the only eventful thing going on in the chatrooms was a fire alarm going off after a science teacher at Riara had lit a balloon full of some kind of gas on fire, creating a massive fireball. No one was hurt and nothing happened other than all of her lovely humans at Riara having to pile out, most not knowing it wasn't a drill, so Kanra wasn't interested. She had more fun ways to play with fire.

Kanra was walking along an empty street, lost in thoughts, when all of a sudden several things happened at once. She was on fire, burning like searing hot razor sharp spikes, all over. It felt like Shizu-chan was trying to split her skull, and stabbing it all over with something Kanra couldn't find a name to relate it to, only able to describe it as sharp and painful. It was all so sudden it felt like being slammed into a wall by a tank.

As if fate itself were mocking her with this torture, time seemed to slow down, so each second seemed like an agonizing hour. Kanra went limp, falling to her right. She held out her right hand, catching herself by pressing her palm into a brick wall, leaning on it for support.

She pressed the heel of her left hand against her forehead, slowly making her way around the corner into a dead end alleyway, just wanting to find a place to curl up and focus on not vomiting. White blanketed her vision at times, and in what seemed like hours later, which was really only a few seconds, she collapsed against the wall, leaning into the corner of the dead end.

* * *

Kanra didn't know how long she lay there, in a crumpled heap, but finally the pain subsided to where she could stand up. Thankfully she wasn't far from Shinra's, and was there in a few minutes.

It seemed to take Shinra forever to open the door after Kanra knocked. Just as he opened it Kanra nearly collapsed, falling forwards a little but catching herself by taking a small step forward. The startled doctor cried out, catching Kanra with his right arm as she fell against his right shoulder.

With Kanra leaning heavily on him, Shinra managed to get the informant to the nearest couch.

Kanra fought to keep her vision in order, but the world seemed quite content with spinning all over the place, and darkening.

"Help..." Was all Kanra could say, her voice barely audible even to herself. Or maybe that was because she was falling into a pit, and whatever Shinra said, he was too far away to hear.

* * *

Shinra heard a weak knock at the door, and sat up to go answer it. His mouth dropped open in shock, as he saw a barely conscious Kanra fall forward a bit, and taking a small step forward. She caught her self, but after that tiny step she fell forward again.

"Kanra!" Shinra said, in a panicked voice. He held out his right arm, catching her around her ribcage, practically holding her up by one arm. He felt her sag against him as he struggled to get her over to the couch.

"Help..." He heard Kanra say, as quiet as a soft breath. He saw her eyes begin to close. "Celty! Can you please help me?" Shinra yelled for Celty, who was in the other room. He began to pick up Kanra, so he could take her to the medical rooms.

* * *

Kanra's eyes opened, and she had to take a few moments to adjust to the light. She was laying down, and judging by the softness under her, it was Shinra's couch. Kanra sighed, knowing that now she was awake either Shinra or Celty would show up. She sat up, stretched, and yawned. Kanra heard foot steps and knew that it was Celty.

Celty sat down next to Kanra.

_tap tap tap_

_[ Hey. How do you feel? ]_

"Like really, _majorly_, pissing Shizu-chan off. I could super glue all the street signs and vending machines. Or do something to his phone. Like burn it. Or flush it. Or throw it at a car." Kanra said, signing as she listed off the possibilities. She could tell that if Celty had a head she would be rolling her eyes.

_tap tap tap_

_[ I'll tell Shinra your awake. ]_

"I'll come with you." Said Kanra, implying she felt fine. Which she did. She felt %100 rested. Standing up she followed Celty to where Shinra was bent over a print off of some medical scan. Kanra jumped up on the chrome table, liking how it felt cool. She laid back in her signature pose, propped up by her arms, hands pressed flat, with her legs stretched out in front of her, one knee bent.

"Hey Shinra." Kanra said, startling the doctor, who obviously hadn't heard her come in with Celty. He turned to her and smiled, though Kanra knew it wasn't %100 his usual carefree happiness.

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what is happening with me?" Kanra asked. Shinra sighed, pausing a moment to try and think about how he was going to say what he needed to say.

"It's not good." He said, uncharacteristically sad. But as he looked up to meet Kanra Orihara in the eyes, he saw a light in her eyes that burned brightly, like the sun. She knew it wasn't good. She didn't care, and Shinra knew she wasn't afraid. She was strong, and whatever came her way she took it on full force, with that crazy insane grin on her face and the fire in her eyes. Something may knock her off her feet, but Shinra knew there was nothing on earth that could ever take her out for good, because she would fight back with everything she had, she was a warrior. A fighter.

Kanra Orihara wasn't one to give up or give in. But Shinra worried that this time there was no escaping defeat. When he looked at her something gripped his heart and squeezed it tightly. He hated to think that someone as defiantly strong as Kanra would have to suffer the fate of being taken down by something she had no chance of beating, something she couldn't fight. It wasn't fair. But no matter how strong Kanra was...

...she didn't stand a chance against the most severe brain trauma Shinra had ever seen in his life.

* * *

Suspense? I hope. _-_ This took a surprising amount of effort to put together. I'm planning on going back to the old chapters and editing, but I'll be sure to keep the chapters coming. Again, please review!

Lol, the fire alarm was a true story. It was funny. Just as fifth period was about to end, the fire alarm goes off. I thought it was a drill, so I wasn't worried. Even though I already had my backpack on, I had to take it off... strange. Anyways, right next to the doorway of my classroom was a doorway to a emergency stairs or something. Yeah let's go with emergency stairs, my brain is dead. It was as I stepped in there as I heard the alarms and all that i got suddenly giddy, and a maniacal grin spread wide across my face. It was fun! Seeing all my humans react to this~! I couldn't stop grinning. I even did the Izaya walk at some point. XD *oh dead god bad life choices have been made*

I love how Kanra's greatest challenge now faces her. It is the one thing she can't fight back. But she can't back down either. If she did, she wouldn't be Kanra.

I felt like I had made Celtys character kinda insignificant, like a background character, so this chapter was an attempt to try and bring Celty more to the front.


	9. Fatal Mind

Sorry, this chapter is kinda (and by kinda I mean I really hate this chapter) suckish. There has just been too much disappointment for one day. So if my writing is terrible, please bear with me. It is kinda hard to write when i can't put my soul into it because its kinda weighed down a lot...

Sorry if this isn't satisfactory, I know it is kinda boring. It will get better, I promise. (You people must be sick of hearing that front me. I feel like I say that a lot... x-x)

* * *

Chapter 9 - Fatal Mind

The wind whipped around Kanra's jacket and hair, as she stood on top of one of the many skyscrapers in Ikebukuro, one foot on the ledge. She looked out across the sky, with the contrast of the lights of the city and the stars sprinkled across the sky laid out in front of her.

"Bring it on." Kanra said, her words chilling. Her glare was like ice daggers, and she gave her most malicious grin as she looked up at the sky.

Fate was bitter, and it played dirty. But Kanra guessed she didn't mind it that way, and saw it more as a challenge instead of blubbering over how unfair it all was. It seemed crazy. The one thing that would be the downfall of Kanra Orihara was something she couldn't fight back at all.

But that never meant she couldn't fight. She wasn't just about to roll over and accept that the "lacerations" were going to kill her. She couldn't help but laugh. A chuckle grew into full on laughter, and Kanra flicked out her blade, stepping on to the ledge so it wasn't just her right foot resting on it anymore.

Holding her arms out to the skies she closed her eyes, and tilted her head upwards, smiling, as she inhaled through her nose. The wild icy look came back into Kanra's eyes as she opened her eyes again, feeling the malicious grin return.

"Give me all you have got. Take me down if you will, but you can bet that I'll give the best fight I ever had. I'll give you _HELL! _**Remember that I am KANRA ORIHARA! **You will _never_ come across a person like me ever again, and you will never forget me. You _can't_ kill me. I WON'T BE TAKEN DOWN!" She said, voice rising until she was screaming at the skies, at whatever higher power if there were any.

She felt alive, and for the first time in a long while a wild clarity swept through her mind. It was as if everything was like diamonds, every detail of every sense crystal clear and vividly sharp. If her life were coming to an end, she would go out with a hell of a finale.

The breeze slipped past her cheek and through her hair like cool fingers, and Kanra stood there looking down on her city.

* * *

"Shinra?" Kanra asked, neither patient nor impatient. Hr eyes narrowed at the doctor. She could easily see his emotions written all over his face, though they would have been invisible to anyone else. It was her job as an informant, and she developed the ability to read people like books naturally.

"Kanra... I need you to tell me exactly what happened before you came to my place." Shinra said slowly.

Shinra listened to Kanra as she described everything, and a smile slowly spread across her face as she told the story, watching Shinra's face grow more grim.

"Shinra-chan~, your so depressing now. How on earth is it possible for you to make face when your the cheeriest person I know~?" Kanra said, after finishing.

Shinra just ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "This is not good." He said, and Kanra laughed. "So I've heard." She said, still grinning.

"How did you get hit in the head? Does this have anything to do with your other injuries from before?" Shinra asked, regretting he hadn't asked more about the situation when he treated Kanra's wounds.

Kanra shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. I ran into some old enemies." Shinra sighed, growing frustrated. "Then why are you allowing to get yourself hurt? _Your killing yourself Kanra. _What has driven you to do this?"

Kanra rolled her eyes. "Tch. It's not like that at all. I'm not purposefully letting them catch me. I have no choice. I can't let them hurt someone. Don't ask me who, or why, I don't know alright?"

Lacerations were found in the back of her skull, and apparently they were spreading. It was apparently a miracle she was alive, much less functioning normally aside from the laceration attack she had the night before. She was absolutely confused as to how the whole thing worked, but from what she could understand from Shinra the lacerations affected her nervous system in a way that when they spread it caused the agony she previously felt.

It would only grow more painful and more frequent as it got worse, and there was no telling when the next attack could happen, and unless Shinra could find a way to come up with a cure, it would eventually kill her. She loved the unpredictability of it all, it excited her. She loved having to think on her toes.

Kanra turned and went down the stairs to the streets.

"Kanra why are you smiling like that? Don't you have any regard for your life?" Shinra said, as he followed Kanra out into the living room. She picked up her jacket, and turned to face him, one hand on the doorknob.

"Because I'm not afraid to die. What I am afraid of is worse than death." Kanra said, opening the door and walking out. Shinra heard it click behind her.

_tap tap tap_

_[ What does she mean by that? ]_

Shinra sighed. He shouldn't let himself get so worked up by this. He needed to rest. Kanra kept her cool, while he was the one that lost it. "I should have known that Kanra would say something like that. I know why she is doing this. She just needs to figure it out for herself. But, I have a feeling deep inside she knows."

* * *

Kanra was weaving her way through the crowded streets of Ikebukuro, when she spotted a group of Taisho's gang off to the side. An evil grin spread across her face, turning around wondering if she could get away before they noticed her. She wouldn't mind a chase today, she hadn't had some fun in a while.

"Hey there she is!"

"It's her! That's Kanra!"

"Damned bitch. It's been too long, I'm sick of doing nothing."

"Let's get her!"

Kanra's high sense of hearing picked up on the voices. As soon as she was free of the crowd, she broke into a run, heading towards the less occupied areas of Ikebukuro. She had to slow her pace, so she kept herself just barely in view, so she didn't lose them completely.

* * *

Shizuo walked the maze of alleyways, smoking a cigarette. He was thinking about his encounter with the Shadow a couple of days ago, curious about the whole thing. He hated being curious and not getting answers. It pissed him off. He heard the sound of quickened footsteps and stopped, staying still in the shadows.

To his surprise, Kanra Orihara came sprinting around a corner, jumping up on top of a trash bin with the lid down, and springing up on to the wall, taking two steps before pushing off and landing on her feet and fluidly diving into a roll.

Smug little parkour parasite. She couldn't just run for her life, no she had to have fun too.

Shizuo was just about to step out of the shadows and kick her little ass when something stopped him. She had just rolled onto her feet, and turned around the corner into the alleyway in front of Shizuo, a wild grin on her face, looking over her shoulder.

Then it was as if she had collided into something, though nothing was there, and nearly was knocked to her feet. Stumbling forward, fingers brushing the ground, she tried to straighten herself. She was right in front of the opening to Shizuo's alley, fists tightly clenched, as she tried to steady herself.

_What the hell?_

At the sound of thundering feet and shouts, she flinched, tensed, and looked over her in the direction of the way she just came from. She quickly backed up, and her back hit the brick wall, then she slid down.

The tips of her right fingers pressed against the garbage bin blocking her from view of anyone that passed this alley, as her other hand held her head. Shizuo thought he noticed a bandage wrapped around her wrist, but from this distance, her couldn't tell.

Wait... Was Kanra... Trembling?

Kanra seemed to be gritting her teeth, and shaking all over, then slowly relaxed. The voices and footsteps got closer and louder, and Shizuo saw glimpses of a few shoes or jackets a couple alleyways down. Kanra's head popped up, and she peeked around the trash bin.

"Dammit! Freaking Bitch got away!" Shizuo saw Kanra grin, as if whatever caused her to act so strangely had never occurred.

"Great. Now that she has gotten to fast there is nothing to do anymore."

"What about Shizuo?"

"No, we can't. What if the Shadow shows up? It doesn't seem to like us getting near him." Shizuo's ears burned, and he began to get an idea...

"Nah, they probably made it up. Shizuo probably just beat them up."

"Besides, even if it is real, I doubt it will show up again."

_Then we'll just have to find out ourselves._ Shizuo thought. The Orihara parasite wasn't the only one who could put together plans.

The voices faded as the group walked away. Shizuo saw Kanra stand, and walk off, grinning. Pretty soon he continued his walk home, thinking over his idea on how to confront the Shadow. One way or another, he was going to get answers.

* * *

Ok so there it is! I hope I have done a Good job. I'm going to post the next chapter as soon as I can, but I am still writing it, so please review~!

I know that Kanra say seem a little OOC (she isn't one to do that whole dramatic yelling at the sky type thing,) but when I wrote this I was kinda depressed *i don't know if I said this earlier but the dollars group was shut down and that really put me out of it, and there was some other stuff too.* and I was in that mood where you want to be someone who can't be knocked down by anything life throws at you. Which, is why this chapter turned out really crappy. I'm still going to keep it up, because there is important things in here. Thanks for sticking with me!


	10. Realized Fears

Tenth chapter! Woo Hoo~! To the people that PM me and tell me that like my story, thanks soooo much, it is great to see that people enjoy my writing. I've heard that people like Kanra, and I'm glad you like her, it has been fun creating her. She embodies the person I wish I could be, and she lives out all my dreams in her reality. She and I share the same fear, except Im the one living it. She gives me a chance to live the life and feel the freedom I always wish I could possess in her reality. (Well, minus the lacerations, but I'd deal with that if it meant I could live her life.) Wether it is through a PM or review, or following/favoriting my story, just hearing the comments and seeing new followers/favorites inspires me to go and write. Thanks for reading~!

* * *

Chapter 10 - Realized Fears

"Get back here!" The cry rang out as Kanra ran through the maze of alleyways.

_Like hell I would. _Kanra thought, laughing. The alleyways were zigzagged, and Kanra went through, making sure to knock over trash cans so they knew she was there, but also making them having to deal with getting past the small obstacles.

Kanra laughed, and leapt up onto a closed trash bin, then used her momentum to take two steps off the wall. On her last step, she pushed off and up with her right foot, soaring above the ground. She landed on her feet, then ducked into a roll. She looked over her shoulder, grinning, and hadn't taken more then three steps when a searing pain split through her mind, knocking the wind out of her.

She slammed to a stop, stumbling forward a bit as her fingers brushed the ground. She tried to steady herself, and her fists balled up tightly.

_Not now._

There were shouts as the group approached her, and she stumbled back, slamming into the wall and sliding down. She shook uncontrollably, and pressed her right fingers into the trash bin hiding her, while gripping her head with her other hand. It passed, and she relaxed. She looked up and peeked around the corner of the trash bin, checking to make sure they didn't come into her alleyway. From the sound of their voices they were just around the corner.

"Dammit! Freaking Bitch got away!" Kanra grinned. _Yep._

"Great. Now that she has gotten to fast there is nothing to do anymore." _Ever considered testing if gravity works on idiots? I could help push you off a building, it'll be fun._

"What about Shizuo?" Kanra stiffened, her grin faltering a little.

"No, we can't. What if the Shadow shows up? It doesn't seem to like us getting near him." _Damn right._

"Nah, they probably made it up. Shizuo just beat them up." _No, I just wanted to have all the fun to myself._

"Besides, even if it is real, I doubt it will show up again. We'll take care of Hewajima later." _Your gut instincts must suck._

Kanra kept grinning, she couldn't wait to kick some ass. She waited until the voices faded before standing up, then walking home.

* * *

Kanra woke early the next morning, and decided to go up on the roof. Sitting on the ledge she flipped her switchblade over and over in her palm, looking at the reflection in the shiny blade. Her cell phone buzzed, and she picked it up.

"Hello?" Kanra asked, holding it up to her ear. Shinra's cheerful voice greeted her.

"Hi Kanra! I have some medications that you can try out, but I don't know if they will work. Can you come over?"

Kanra laughed. "Sure, I'm on my way." She snapped the phone shut and stood up, turning around and walking off the ledge to the doorway.

A few minutes later, Kanra stood in the doorway at Shinra's, as the cheerful doctor handed her a paperbag. "Take two of these pills a day, I have enough in there to last you a week, not counting the ones you just took this morning. If there are any side effects, or if it gets worse, then let me know, ok?"

"Sure. Thanks Shinra." Kanra said, nodding. She pocketed the paper bag. Waving briefly, she turned and walked down the hall, hearing the door click shut behind her. She stepped onto the street, and decided to go and provoke Shizu-chan into fighting her. It was later on in the day, so she knew the x-bartender would be out and about right around now.

* * *

Shizuo was walking past Russia's sushi when a familiar high pitched whine ripped through the air and he briefly saw a glimpse of his reflection as one of Kanra's throwing blades spun past his face, cutting the cancer stick he had just lifted to his mouth in half.

Shizuo looked in the direction of where the blade came from, and saw Kanra standing on the other end of the street grinning. The people around them had wisely cleared a path between the two. Shizuo dropped the cigarette and ripped out a street sign, running towards Kanra.

Her eyes gleamed and she jumped up, landing briefly on the street sign Shizuo swung at her, before jumping over him, landing on her feet behind him. She took off running, sprinting down the roads. He ran after her, ignoring the shout behind him.

"Shizuo! Kanra! Fight no good! You act like bickering children! Eat sushi, you feel better!"

* * *

As soon as she stepped onto the street, it didn't take long for her lovely humans to realize who she was and who was standing down the street straight in front of her and clear a path. She flicked out a blade and threw it, watching it slice the cigarette Shizu-chan was smoking, with practiced precision.

He stiffened and turned towards her, and she could almost taste the anger wafting off him. It didn't take much to piss him off today. Good. He ripped out a street sign, and swung it at her. She left up, jumping off the end of it and soaring over Shizu-chan. She landed lightly on her feet behind him, then took off, noticing Simon come out of Russia sushi.

* * *

Kanra reached Central Park, with Shizu-chan following close behind her. She ran onto the road, and jumped, her back sliding across the front hood of a car as the wire recycling bin Shizu-chan threw at her passed just over her head. She dodged and weaved fluidly among the cars, trying to find a way to escape. This was fun.

Adrenaline coursed through her, and she felt ecstatic. She was dancing around death, and doing it right in front of Shizu-chan, who was busy ripping out a second street sign. She would rather die than have to live a normal life. She wouldn't be able to stand not being able to defy death, or not be able to fight with Shizu-chan, who made defying death so much more fun with his superhuman strength.

She glared at Shizu-chan, and their eyes met as he stepped off the curb. In that moment, everything clicked, realization struck her hard as she finally understood. Or maybe it was just the street sign that collided with her side.

She felt weightless for a second, and then she felt her right shoulder connect hard with a windshield of a car, and heard the sound of cracking glass. The driver of the car slammed on the breaks and Kanra slid off, palms slapping against the ground as she just barely caught herself before her face hit the pavement. She was up on her feet fast, and the driver got out and ran seeing Shizu-chan stomping towards Kanra.

Kanra grinned, even though her shoulder was cut up. She whipped out a hail of knives, but Shizu-chan was barely affected by them. He threw the street sign at Kanra, and she stepped to her right, feeling a swell of adrenaline as it brushed her coat sleeve. She looked back at Shizu-chan, and jumped back just in time to avoid the second street sign which he had swung down.

She landed in the next lane, grinning. "You have to try harder than that to-" The sound of tires screaming for purchase reached her ears, and Kanra had barely enough time to react, before hard metal slammed into her side and all the breath was knocked out of her as she was flipped up onto the hood of a car.

* * *

Shizuo had been running after Kanra for a while, when they reached Central Park. He had hoped he had finally cornered the freaking parasite when she ran into the road. He threw the wire recycling bin he held and she just simply slid across the hood of a car and let the bin pass over her in a single fluid motion.

Pissed beyond belief Shizuo ripped out the nearest street sign, and made his way to a second one as the parasite practically freaking danced among the cars, lithely gliding about.

So. Freaking. Insane.

It pissed him off.

_Doesn't she know she could get killed doing that? She should at least act like she had a sliver of concern for her life._

He ripped out the second sign, holding one in each hand, and stomped towards her. She glared at him as he stepped off a curb, and swung the sign at her. In that instant, _something_ flashed across her face briefly, and she didn't even seem to notice the sign until it hit her, sending her flying into a car windshield.

She slid off it, and nearly fell on her face before she caught herself, in kind of a push-up position, before she got to her feet in a flash. It was rare that he caught Kanra off guard. She sent a hail of knifes down on him, and they stung a little, but he didn't care at the moment. He was too freaking pissed.

Shizuo threw the street sign at Kanra, then swung the second sign down as it it were a fly swatter; which was appropriate, considering Kanra was such a _parasite._

Shizuo would have preferred flies, instead of this arrogant little cancer of Ikebukuro.

Kanra simply jumped back, ginning.

"You have to try harder than that to-" Kanra said, but was cut of as a car hit her, and she was rolled up on top of the hood, stopping face down at the point where the metal met the windshield. Shizuo was shocked. That was _twice_ she was caught off guard.

What was with Kanra today? And better yet, why hadn't she gotten up by now?

* * *

Kanra has lethal cerebral lacerations (lacerations in the cerebellum) that cause extreme pain, and Shinra is scrambling to try and find a cure. She is caught up in her old enemy, Taisho's, plan for revenge, and to save Shizu-chan she is getting hurt, which is slowly killing her. She is doing this because she fears having to live with a free soul that is caged, and being tied down by friends and family. Shinra and Celty know this, and now Kanra has realized it. In an effort tor protect Shizuo she has taken up the alias, The Shadow, and Shizuo is determined to confront the Shadow, and has a plan to find out who the mysterious girl known as the Shadow is. Upon realizing the answer to the question that has been bugging her for a while (why is shdodging this for her enemy), her mind is preoccupied and this allows her to be caught off guard twice, which is rare for Kanra. The second time, however, results in her lying on the hood of the car that just hit her, and Shizuo, who is stunned, is even more shocked and confused as to why she hasn't gotten up yet.

* * *

^End of chapter summary

There we go~! Please fav/follow/review/stompcellphones/lovehumans/light thegameonfire and whatever else my lovely humans do~! x3


	11. Eyes of Fire

Sorry it took so long to get this to you, but here it is!

* * *

Chapter 11 - Eyes of Fire

_She landed in the next lane, grinning. "You have to try harder than that to-" The sound of tires screaming for purchase reached her ears, and Kanra had barely enough time to react, before hard metal slammed into her side and all the breath was knocked out of her as she was flipped up onto the hood of a car._

_Shit._

Pushing herself up with her hands, she coughed, and blinked blearily at the red liquid that appeared on the dented hood of the car. Weird. Looking up at Shizu-chan, she got to her knees, then stood up on the hood of the car, grinning.

"Nice try , Shizu-chan~, but no." Kanra said, and she ran on top of the car, sprinting for the sidewalk. She flicked out two blades, and as she came out from the other side of the bus stop shelter, she dove for a park bench, flinging them at Shizu-chan in midair. She landed and slid on her back. The next moment Shizu-chan was lifting up the bench, as Kanra rolled and got to her feet.

In a blink of an eye, the two were frozen in a stalemate, Kanra holding her switchblade lightly against Shizu-chans neck, him holding the concrete bench above her head. She stepped forward, bending her arm so it stayed right at one of the arteries, her eyes narrowing, grin growing crueler. She was inches away as she glared up at him, lips curled into a snarl.

"There is nothing that can defeat me, and you, Shizu-chan, are no exception." She said, her voice cold. Then with a flick of the wrist she shut her blade and sprinted away, leaving Shizu-chan standing there, still holding the bench.

* * *

Shizuo saw Kanra shift her shoulders as she slowly pushed herself up by her hands, hair falling forward, draping over her face. He heard her cough, and red splattered on the hood of the car. She stood up on the hood of the car, grinning that infuriating grin of hers.

"Nice try, Shizu-chan~, but no." She said, and he saw her turn and run on top of the car. She ran behind a bus stop shelter, and he ran forward, picking up a wire bin, throwing it at her as soon as she came in view. Shizuo got cut in the leg, and in the arm with the blades she threw at him.

Shizuo picked up the bench the parasite just dove behind, lifting it up into the air. In the next moment, he felt the cold sharp edge of Kanra's switchblade lightly pressed against his neck. He just stared her in the eyes, as she stood with her arm held straight out. She stepped closer, glaring up at him.

"There is nothing that can defeat me, and you, Shizu-chan, are no exception." She said, in a deadly cold tone. Then she snapped her blade shut, and ran off.

Shizuo set the bench down. Something in his gut felt...not right...about what the parasite had said. He was confused by his own feelings, and couldn't name what emotion he felt much less why. He gave up on it. He hated self evaluation because he couldn't always understand himself, and it pissed him off. He looked down at himself, and sighed.

"Better get Shinra to take care of these." He muttered, putting his hands in his pockets and walking towards Shinra's. The damn parasite had embedded a couple of knives too deep for him to get out on his own. Besides, he was out of band aids.

* * *

Kanra sprinted down the block, turning down an alley before - WHAM! She collided with something hard, a person. She was pushed down hard, and before she could do anything her reactions seemed to slow down. By a lot.

_Shit. Side effects._

Hands roughly picked her up and she kicked out, but it didn't seem to affect the person, who ever it was. She couldn't see the guy clearly, and he wore no identifying things. She as lifted nearly off her feet and slammed her into the brick wall, and her head snapped back, knocking against the hard stone.

The guy let go, and she slid down a little, before falling to her knees and then her face, laying sideways, her back to the streets behind her. Thankfully she wasn't near any open street, so no one saw this but the damned freaking bastard who had the freaking nerve to dare _touch_ her.

She fought to get up, but found she couldn't move any of her muscles.

_Shit, Shinra?! What the hell did you give me?!_

She felt her hands being bound behind her back (_with freaking_ _rope_)and then she was blindfolded, and lifted up by the collar of the back of her jacket.

_Hell. He is burning in freaking hell. For all eternity. He touched my freaking jacket._

She managed to sluggishly struggle, and slip out of his grasp for a second, but was just picked up again. This time she let herself be dragged off because a laceration attack was growing, but she grinned as she was dragged away.

Laying in the alley behind her was one of her spare switchblades, pointing in the direction she was being dragged... With a faint barely detectable trail of blood leaking from her leg where she cut herself.

They weren't going to get her this easy. She still had a few tricks up her sleeves.

* * *

They went through the small alleyways, as Kanra figured out by her knowledge of the streets of Ikebukuro and her other senses. The laceration attack had been simmering under the surface, and was now out full on. She grit her teeth, body rigid, and focused on breathing evenly, trying to keep her breath from coming in hisses through her clenched teeth.

They went into a warehouse at some point, judging by the echoes, and then they into a smaller room. She was released, her head smacking into the hard flooring, doing nothing to help her head, which had just stopped hurting from the laceration attack. Her shoulder stung, but she was more focused on trying to "see" her surroundings, without the use of her eyes.

She had finally started to get some feeling in her muscles again, but she kept still. A person knelt beside her.

"Nice to see you, Kanra." Taisho said in a soft tone, but Kanra picked up on all the key points in the syllables, reading his voice and detecting the emotions underneath.

"I'm honored." Kanra said, sneering. She was in a dangerous mood. "I wish I could say the same, however I'm kind of _blind_ at the moment, but I'm not complaining because if I wasn't blindfolded currently, I'd have to see your ass ugly face."

This earned her a kick in the ribs from said ass ugly, but Kanra simply laughed. She was grabbed by the collar of her shirt and slammed into a chair. Her jacket was pulled off and her arms were re-tied behind the chair.

Kanra heard a familiar _click_ as Taisho flicked open a switchblade. _Kanra's_ switchblade. She felt him slowly press the tip of the sharp blade into her left shoulder, right at the back of her shoulder blade.

"You see, Kanra," he said, as he slowly pulled the knife up, moving in a diagonal motion to the base of her neck. "We will kill you. But first, we're gonna have a little fun." Reaching the base of her neck he slashed upward, making a cut that reached just below her jaw.

Kanra didn't flinch the whole time, just kept her eyes closed and felt the cool trickle begun to flow down her neck. He pressed the knife tip at the corner of her jaw, not breaking the skin. Kanra tilted her head to keep away from the blade.

"Untie me and we'll have a hell of a time." She said, her words like knives. Taisho chuckled.

"No, I want to see you helpless when we break you. I want to watch that fire leave your eyes as we bring you to your knees. But don't worry, that is still a ways away from now. I'm afraid I'm a little tied up with Shizuo Hewajima at the moment, and until my plans with him are complete and he is out of the way for good, then I'll be able to turn all my attention to you, Kanra. I just can't risk having you getting in the way of that."

He flicked the blade up the side of her face, cutting the blindfold and letting it drop.

"Enjoy your night here, Kanra. I hope your comfortable." Taisho said, leaving the room.

Kanra's head was bent forward, hair draping her face. As she heard the door click shut, she looked up and stared at the door.

Even in the dark, empty room,

The fire in Kanra's eyes burned on.

* * *

Kanra survived getting hit by the car and escaped from Shizuo, who has detected something is off with Kanra, that something still isn't right. As he goes to Shinra's place, he is unaware that Kanra is being dragged off to a warehouse, where she meets the vengeful Taisho again. She learns of his plan to kill her, and as well as his plan to kill Shizuo, but she doesn't know how he plans to go about doing that. Feeling the side effects of the medications from Shinra that are ineffective, Kanra keeps as still as possible. Taisho wants to put out the fire in Kanra's Soul. And she is determined to not let that happen.

* * *

As always, please review~! Thanks soooo much for reading~!l


	12. Fighter's Spirit

Heyy~! Kanra here~! Lol, XD sorry this chapter took so long to put together.

Wow the amount of views here~! The support~! Oh my god thank you guys soooooo much~! *hugs you all in a not creepy way* :P

I have some ideas for future events, and you can expect the return of the Shadow soon. }:3 I have a suspenseful ending in mind, I'm so excited! But I don't think I'll be ending this any time soon, so don't worry~!

And, LOL, China was added to my list of countries that viewed my story! XD WHERE IS MY JAW, SERIOUSLY! I'm laughing my butt off just as I predicted I would when I mentioned china earlier. XD I wonder what my china readers thought when they read my remark. Lol, I hope it made them smile... Probably just made them think 'this person is crazy, that is such a cheesy joke.' :3 (more likely 'good lord this girl is crazy')

* * *

Chapter 12 - Fighter's Spirit

Kanra's eyes opened, and she stared into her lap, not really seeing it. She spent the night in a restless sleep, not wanting to be caught off her guard. She had been in a half asleep, half awake state, aware of everything around her, yet not fully awake.

She was bent forward, head hanging low and her hair hung down, shielding her face from everything around her. Her arms were still bound behind her, so her wrists touched her elbows. They hadn't bound her feet, probably thinking that there was no way she could escape the ( _rope, freaking rope_ ) bonds, or the guards that she knew were outside her door.

She planted her feet firmly on the floor, taking deep slow breaths as she relaxed, trying to slip from her bonds. Her jacket was tossed in the corner, and while they had removed the throwing knifes and Taisho had one of her switchblades, they should've known Kanra would have more that that. It was almost insulting, but it gave her a chance.

Her muscles were stiff and sore, from staying in her bend forward position for most of the night. To them, it may have seemed she kept still out of weakness. In reality it was a play of strength. A million strong attacks would do nothing in a fight compared to one, patient, well timed strike.

She had waited hours, and was certain now was the time. She flexed the muscles in her arms, twisting them, trying to loosen the ropes. Patiently she worked at getting her arms free, and finally, she was able to slip them loose.

Gasping quietly in relief, she stood and walked silently to the corner, picking up her jacket. She pulled out another switchblade and flicked it open, seeing her reflection in its beautiful yet lethal blade.

Kanra snapped it shut, and pulled on her jacket. She crossed over to the doorway, standing before it for just a moment.

Raising her right leg, she kicked hard at the door, and it flew off its hinges. Before the door even hit the floor with a loud _BANG!_ Kanra had already jumped out, elbowing the guard on her left in the jaw, then kicking him in the gut. She spun around and punched the second guard so hard his head snapped back and he hit the wall. She sprinted away, out the doors of the warehouse, leaving the unconscious guards behind her.

* * *

It was early morning, and the world was in that bluish hue that appears before the sun rises. She breathed in the crisp cool air, letting it full her lungs as she walked down the sidewalk. She had retrieved her knife from the alleyway where she left it. If she had ended up going missing long enough for anyone to notice because she wasn't able to get out of the situation herself for whatever reason, she knew Celty or someone would find it and be able to follow the path she had left for them.

She pulled out her phone, and sent Shinra a text.

_[ Medication doesn't work, and there were major side effects. Don't worry, I'm fine. I can take care of myself. Slowed reactions, and at one point I could barely move, and was practically paralyzed. Again, I'm good now, so don't worry. ]_

Kanra snapped the phone shut, putting it away. She sighed. She'd probably get a call from Shinra with him all panicked despite the fact she told him _twice _she was fine and he didn't need to worry. Shinra was weird like that.

* * *

BOOM!

A cloud of dust blew out into the street, coming from the alleyway. A small dark figure was seen, and then Kanra jumped out of the dust cloud, racing down the street with a wild grin spread wide across her face, looking over her shoulder.

"Oh come on, Shizu-chan~! What did I do?" Kanra mocked, turning around to face Shizu-chan as he came running around the corner.

"SHUT UP PARASITE! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID! YOU EXIST TO MAKE MY LIFE A FREAKING HELL!" Shizu-chan roared, starting to run towards Kanra.

Kanra laughed, and she side stepped, Shizu-chan's punch easily. She held out a foot and he tripped, falling to the ground. She walked up to him, looking down at him with a evil grin.

"Ah, poor Shizu-chan~. So naive~. I do a lot more for you than make your life hell for my own personal entertainment~." Kanra grinned. She laughed, what Shizu-chan said was hilarious. The simplicity of his point of view was funny, which made it even more frustrating for her when he did things she never expected. How could someone be so simple minded, yet unpredictable? It frustrated her, and fascinated her all at the same time.

She knelt down on one knee, leaning forward. "Of course I'd never tell you exactly what those things are." She said, and sprang back as Shizu-chan tried to hit her, and got to his feet.

"JUST STAY THE FREAKING HELL AWAY FROM ME PARASITE! MY LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE BETTER OFF IF YOU WERE NEVER AROUND!" Shizu-chan was livid. He ripped out a street sign, and ran after Kanra who was backing away, still grinning.

"Sorry, Shizu-chan~! But you know I always to the exact opposite of what you want me too~! I never listen to you~! Why do you think I'm always in Ikebukuro~?!" Kanra said, laughing as she turned and ran.

* * *

Shizuo blundered through the dust cloud he'd just created, trying to find the damn parasite so he could beat the shit out of her. He found his way out of the dust cloud and saw Kanra turning to face him.

"Oh come on, Shizu-chan~! What did I do?" Kanra said, mocking him with that freaking grin.

"SHUT UP PARASITE! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID! YOU EXIST TO MAKE MY LIFE A FREAKING HELL!" He roared. He started to run towards Kanra. He pulled back his right fist, and tried to punch Kanra, but the freaking parasite just smoothly stepped to the side, sticking out a foot and tripping him.

He fell forward, and when he rolled over, he saw her looking down at him as if he were beneath her, like she ruled the world and he deserved to be below her. Just as he was about to get up, her words stopped him.

"Ah, poor Shizu-chan~. So naive~. I do a lot more for you than make your life hell for my own personal entertainment~." Kanra grinned, and she laughed. The way she said it made it sound like she was secretly doing something good for him.

_That is such freaking shit. Kanra Orihara? Do something good for him? Out of free will? Hell no._

"Of course I'd never tell you exactly what those things are." She said, kneeling down and leaning close so he heard her when she whispered to him.

The thought of Kanra toying around with his life pissed Shizuo off.

"JUST STAY THE FREAKING HELL AWAY FROM ME PARASITE! MY LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE BETTER OFF IF YOU WERE NEVER AROUND!" He yelled, ripping out a street sign and running towards Kanra. She was backing away and had another grin on her face.

"Sorry, Shizu-chan~! But you know I always to the exact opposite of what you want me too~! I never listen to you~! Why do you think I'm always in Ikebukuro~?!" He heard Kanra say, laughing as she turned and ran away from him.

He chased after her. She just didn't know when to give up. The parasite was too stubborn, and she had a fighter's spirit.

* * *

Kanra manages to escape the warehouse where she is being held captive and retrieves her knife that marked the trail she left in case she wasn't able to get out, because if she hadn't done so by the time anyone would notice she was missing it would mean she needed help. She leaves Shinra a text message informing him that the medications did nothing and that there were side effects, but doesn't tell him what happened. Later on she goes to fight Shizuo, and hints that she is doing things to help him behind his back. Shizuo is too stubborn to believe this, and he ignores it. Kanra tells him she will always do the opposite of what he wants her too. Kanra will always defy and rebel against Shizuo, and Shizuo recognizes the fight inside Kanra.

* * *

XD Kanra is still pissed about the rope. If this continues... All the rope factories better run. Lol.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter~! Reviews would really help~! If you don't want to review, that's fine, you could always send me a PM or not, whatever you wish~!


	13. Pride and Pain

Heyy~! It's Kanra here~! How are my lovely little humans? Sorry for the delay, I've been busy running from Shizu-chan. Damn protozoan just won't take a chill pill.

*I decided to delete all evidence of Kanra's antics.*

thanks for reading~!

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Chapter 13 - Pride and Pain

Kanra pranced around alleyways, looking for Shizu-chan. She had managed to lose him in the maze, and because she had nothing better to do other than fight with him, she was looking to see if he had given up or if he was still around. There was no telling with Shizu-chan.

"Shiiiiiiiizzuuu-chaaaaaaaann~! Come out and plaaayy~!" Kanra sung, looking around a corner into one of the many dead-ends.

Once again, Kanra felt a prickle at the back of her neck that came far too late as she was struck in the back of her head, crumpling to the ground as it induced a major laceration attack. It was all she could do to keep from screaming.

She was picked up roughly by the front of her jacket, and thrown against the wall. Her vision was blurred, and she could only see the smeared outlines of four men. She tried to push herself up off the ground but one of the men just kicked her in the head, sending another wave of pain through her.

"So they were right. Kanra _does_ have a weakness after all. I didn't think it would be this easy to bring her back." The guy that had kicked her said, and Kanra soooo wished he had said it in a mocking tone, not in a simple monotone voice. Then she could use that for all the more inspiration to kick his ass, as she thought violent things about the jerk. He appeared to be the leader of the four.

_There always seems to a leader with these people, someone in a higher ranking, no matter how small the groups are. What is it with these lovely humans? They seem so attached to structure. Their lives are a chaotic and organized mess. It's like these gangs are packs, and without their ranking of alpha to omega, they'd fall apart._

Kanra was able to push herself up with her right arm and she coughed, grinning and not meeting their eyes in determination to only look them in the eyes or look down upon them.

"Do you even _hear_ yourself? I have no weakness, and if you ever thought it would be easy to make me do _anything,_ you are majorly mistaken." She said, her words as biting as razors on glass, as she pushed herself up, leaning on the brick wall for support less and less each moment. Her head was clearing due to the fury she felt, and her eyes just burned brighter and grew more colder with every passing moment.

The guy tried to punch her, and she merely stepped forward and ducked to the side under his other arm, watching him howl as his skin was peeled from his fist by the brick. She sent throwing blades flying after a guy who tried to run, and the first one caught his long pant leg, causing him to trip and fall on his face, knocking a pile of poles on him that clanged with a reverberating sound, echoing loudly through the alley.

The three remaining men all jumped at her at once and one managed to snag her by the hood of her jacket as she slipped away, dodging the attack and stepping out into the larger alleyway she was walking down earlier. She was brought off balance and stumbled just enough for the leader to grab her by the shoulders from behind.

Before she could react properly by freaking kicking the shit out of him, he swung her around and pushed her into the brick wall across from the entrance to the smaller alley. He slammed her into the opposite brick wall, and embedding a knife up to the hilt just below the clavicle of her right shoulder, pinning her in place before she punched him, immediately regretting it when she realized that she used her right arm.

_Nice one Kanra, that was really smart. Use your dominant hand to punch the little shit and forget completely that he just stabbed you in the freaking right shoulder. Your not Shizu-chan you idiot, you can't fight with a knife in your shoulder and act like its just a freaking sliver or something._

Deciding it would be better to just pull the knife out and avoid risking further injury by it getting bumped or whatever while fighting, she gripped the handle with her left hand and pulled it out slowly, watching her shirt darken.

She held the glistening shiny red blade up, and laughed, in a psychotic way. It was funny, because that shit had just ended his own life by pulling a freaking blade on her. These gangsters were just getting more freaking retarded by the day. Seriously, they just kept of freaking _asking_ for death by doing dumb ass stunts like this. She was losing a lot of blood fast, which meant the damn jerk had hit the subclavian artery.

"You are sooooo freaking de-ead, yarou-san.~" Kanra laughed when she said dead so it had a _h_ sound as her ribcage shook with laughter, to pissed to feel the pain it caused for her shoulder. She walked forward, staggering slightly, the knife slipping a little from her hand, as chilling grin spread across her face made even more terrifying by the blood on her mouth from where her bottom lip was split from when yarou-san kicked her in the head before.

"You just freaking messed with hell, bitch. You are dead shit." She spoke again, stepping forward again leaning slightly to her left. The way she placed her feet was uneven, so far off from the fluid stride she possessed. The laceration attack was full on know, though she didn't feel like curling up and shriveling.

She simply felt the pain, like the way someone would feel warm or cold or hungry. She was so freaking happy, and she knew there was no indication of any mental illness aside from her usual insanity. It was wonderful! The only hindrance was the blood loss. Red flooded her vision, but if it was from blood loss, pain, fury, or what, Kanra had no idea.

She just laughed again, and the next step she took made the here men take a step back. The knife had slipped from her grip and hit the ground. She bent over, picking up a rusty old pipe. She took two steps forward, and the other two men turned and ran. She struck one across the back of the head, and threw the pipe at the second guy, watching as it struck him and he fell to the ground. Her lips curled into a grin of satisfaction.

She spun as she heard the scraping of a blade against the concrete ground, and found yarou-san was picking up the bloodied knife.

"Oh dear, I'm unarmed and you have a knife." Kanra said, in a sarcastic voice. Then she dropped the playful tone of sarcasm and her eyes narrowed, grin falling and lips twisting into a snarl. She took on a deadly tone of voice.

"I'm so scared." She continued, taunting him in a way that was dangerously serious.

Kanra stared him down, standing five feet away from him, eyes daring him to make a move. He took a step forward, and ran towards Kanra. She grinned, and held out her hands in one of her stances. Just as he got close enough, Kanra stepped to the side and knocked his extended arm up with her right arm.

He shifted the knife in his fingers so the blade pointed down and slashed down on the outside of Kanra's forearm, and then sank the blade into Kanra's side before she could even punch him in the face. She wasn't able to move as fast as usual from the blood loss and the full on laceration attack, and her punch came too late to stop the blade.

Taking a supreme amount of satisfaction in seeing yarou-san crumple to the ground, she took a couple steps, and then fell to the ground, twisting just in time to save herself from landing on the hilt of the blade, which was still embedded in her side.

She felt groggy, and she thought she registered movement and saw someone with black pants and shoes approaching, but she couldn't hear any footsteps.

_Great. Now another freaking idiot comes along. Seriously, what the freaking hell universe?!_

Her vision was going in and out and her mind captured frozen images, as the pain in her skull calmed a little. She thought she saw the corner of the black pants from before in the corner of her eye, and was trying to figure out if it was indeed a person or if she was just getting delusional, when she had a feeling someone just said something, but she didn't hear it.

* * *

Shizuo wandered the alleyways, trying to find the quickest way out. The damn parasite had tricked him into following her into the maze of alleyways in Ikebukuro, and he'd given up trying to find her by now.

he was just passing by the entry of a rather large alley when he heard a howl that made him stop. A few moments later a guy came running out of an alley into the large one, before a familiar streak of silver caught his pant leg, and he fell, knocking a pile of silver metal rods loose and sending them tumbling down on him, and creating a loud clatter.

Shizuo stepped forward into the large alley, trying to get a better look because there was a pile of wooden boards with a white tarp in his way. Just then the freaking parasite stumbled backwards into the larger alley and turned away from Shizuo, but then three men stumbled out of the alley right on her heels, and he saw her get put off balance as one of them managed to snag her hood for a brief instant.

Shizuo a step to the side, standing in the corner of the wall and the pile of wood which he now had his back too, making sure he was in the shadows.

He watched in surprise as Kanra stumbled for just a split second, and in that time one of the men who was holding a knife grabbed her shoulders from behind and swung her around, pushing her into the wall and stabbing her in the shoulder.

She punched him right in the face, standing up straight and stepping forward, wearing a grin that had

_**I will freaking kill you and stomp all over your burning soul**_

written all over it. Her eyes burned with strong and vivid hatred, and she slowly pulled out the blade, her shirt darkening with blood as the stain bloomed out, spreading. She held it up and Shizuo could see the glistening red from where he stood.

Kanra let out a laugh, and it sent chills down his spine, as all his hairs stood on end. It was obvious that she was thinking about the demise of every single person responsible for this.

_Oh hell. That guy better run. Fast. Now._

_"You are sooooo freaking de-ead, yarou-san~." _Kanra said, still laughing. Her face was illuminated from the moonlight, and the way it cast shadows on her added to the effect of the bloodied and split lip, with the already chilling look and grin she had.

_"You just freaking messed with hell, bitch. You are dead shit." _She said. She was tilting a bit to the left, and the way she placed her feet was off. Shizuo was nearly breathless in amazement. He'd never seen Kanra act this way before. She seemed to radiate strength, capability, and power, but strongest of all, she was terrifying.

She let out another laugh, and this time when she stepped forward, the look she gave the guys made the, step back. Shizuo saw the knife slip and clatter to the ground. She bent over, picked up a pipe, and stepped forward as the other two men turned to run. The closest guy never made it one step with his back to her, and fell with a blow to the head. She threw the pipe and the second guy went down.

Shizuo saw the guy that had stabbed Kanra pick up the knife, and when Kanra heard the tiny scraping sound she stiffened and turned to face him.

_"Oh dear, I'm unarmed and you have a knife."_ Kanra said, and then she lost all the playful sarcasm and her eyes narrowed, and her lips formed a snarl.

_"I'm so scared." _She said, somehow managing to be clearly sarcastic in a deadly serious voice.

She stood there, eyes daring him to move, and for a moment they were locked in place. Once the guy finally move Kanra slid into a stance, stepping to the side and knocking his arm up with her right arm.

Shizuo watched as he flipped the knife in his fingers, then swept it down and stabbed it into Kanra's side, just as her fist connected with his face moments too late.

For a moment time slowed, and she turned away just as the guy hit the ground, knocked out cold. She took a few steps, then fell to the ground, nearly falling on the knife still embedded in her side.

Shizuo stepped from the shadows, walking up to Kanra, whose eyes were barely open. He stood and just looked for a moment, face blank, feeling emotionless.

"Hey. Parasite. Get up. You and I both know that there is no way you would go down after just being stabbed twice like some weak girl would. Now get up Kanra. Your not _this_ weak."

* * *

While the two are playing thier usual game of chase, Shizuo and Kanra get separated in the maze of alleyways in Ikebukuro. Having nothing better to do, Kanra tried to look for Shizuo. She is attacked again, and Taisho's gang seem to have figured out that something isn't right with Kanra's head. She fights back, and finds that her pure rage numbs the pain a little. While trying to get away, one of the group of four manage to snag her hood and bring her off balance, and the leader of the group takes the chance to grab Kanra and stab her. She loses blood fast from the subclavian artery (an artery below the clavicle.) and that combined with the laceration attack causes her to be a unable to react fast enou when at he guy who stabgopher before manages to cut her again, this time sinking the blade into her side. He is knocked out by her delayed punch, and Kanra finally falls to the ground. Unaware that Shizuo had been watching all of this, she only sees a glimps of someone's feet. Shizuo approaches her, telling her to get up, because she is better than that.

* * *

Yarou is an insult in Japanese, just like Baka is.

Please review~! It really helps me write when I get the encouragement and input from you people~!

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Kanra here~! If my lovely little humans do wish to review, it would be wonderful if you answer some questions. I'm _dieing _to know what my humans think~!

How are you liking the story?

Any thoughts or predictions?

What do you want to see happen in the story?

Do you have any questions about the fanfiction?

Are you getting bored with the story, how is the pace of it?

How would you guys feel about a suicide scene? ÒVÓ -evil face- *did that get your attention?*

I can't think of any more questions, but I would _looove_ to hear your thoughts. I'm just so curious! You humans fascinate me to no end!

LATOR GATORS~!


	14. Regretless Destroyer

Heyy Hoo~! Kanra's in the house~! How are my lovely humans? I have noticed that you all are still too shy to review! ;n; ...Are you scared of me?

Please Review~! _\(^°^)/ _I'll be your best friend~! Lol.

Enjoy~, my lovely humans~!

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Chapter 14 - Regretless Destroyer

Kanra shut her eyes tight, eyebrows knitting together, and she pulled her lips back in a grimace. Clenching her hand in a fist she let out a groan.

"Ugh. I feel like shit." She said, sitting up. The pain was subsiding, and she held a hand up to her forehead.

"You look like shit too, you freaking parasite." A familiar pissed voice said, and Kanra stiffened, inwardly wincing at the pain in her side.

"Well Shizu-chan~, if I do look like shit, I can only imagine how you must feel looking like that everyday." Kanra said, grinning cruelly as she got to her feet. Not quite trusting her legs, she decided she would rather have to lean against the wall then actually fall to her face in front of Shizu-chan. Acid boiled in her stomach at the mere thought of it.

Shizuo growled in response, tightening his fists, and Kanra smirked. She stepped back, sitting on a crate with her back leaning against the wall, in a casual way as if she weren't injured in front of her greatest enemy and she didn't have a knife in her side.

Her sleeve brushed the hilt of the blade and Kanra grit her teeth, still pissed at the bastard that put it there.

"So Shizu-chan, I must say I'm surprised. You're in the same alley with me, I'm injured, and yet your not throwing a vending machine at me, or hitting me with a street sign. What the hell do you want? Because if you aren't here for any particular reason, then get the hell away because if you haven't realized by everything I've done to you to ruin your life, I freaking hate you. I've had to deal with four too many imbeciles, don't make me add you to the list. That would have severe consequences." Kanra said, tone lowering and eyes darkening as she said the last sentence, flicking out her switchblade.

Shizu-chan was looking of to the side, arms crossed, leaning against the opposite wall. She could see the veins outlined in his neck, and wondered if she could get him pissed off enough to make them burst. Shizuo gave an annoyed _tch,_ turning his head in Kanra's direction, rolling his eyes before they fell on the hilt of the blade.

"You probably deserved it." He said, and Kanra could see that he was equally unwilling to be here, and it was taking all his self-control to not beat the shit out of her right then.

"Yea~, I probably did." Kanra said, shrugging and cocking her head to the side with a shameless smile, grinning as she saw his nails dig into his shirt. Maybe with one more little push she could-

"The only reason I'm still here and haven't left you bleeding in this freaking alleyway is because I need to ask you a question, parasite." Shizuo said, teeth clenched.

Kanra was surprised. Once again, the protozoan had managed to do something she didn't expect. She laughed, cocking her head to the other side in question. "Oh really, Shizu-chan. And what might that be?"

"The Shadow. What do you know about her?" Shizuo said.

A wide grin spread across her face, and Kanra held out her hands, shrugging. "Who? Shizu-chan, if you must waste my time with your dumb-witted babble, at least _try_ to make sense. I have no idea who your talking about. Is she your girlfriend? In that case Shizu-chan, I'm sorry to say that there wouldn't be a person on earth that could find someone who doesn't exist."

Kanra smirked as Shizu-chan stepped forward from the wall he was leaning against, walking forward to loom over Kanra, fists balled and knuckles white.

"Don't play stupid with me Kanra-" Shizu-chan said, but was interrupted by Kanra.

"Oh you were _playing_ Shizu-chan? Your a better actor than your emotionless freak of a brother, Kasuka Hewajima. I really thought your were mentally retarded." Kanra said, and she rose, stepping forward and making Shizu-chan take a step back. She saw a spark of rage ignite in the protozoan's eyes at the mention of his brother, and smiled as he finally was pushed over the edge.

In the next moment Kanra found herself grinning down at the bartender, his hand around her neck. She dug her heels into the brick, laying her feet flat against it with her knees bent, pushing herself up so he wasn't being help up completely by her neck.

"Stay. Away. From. Kasuka." Shizuo panted out, and Kanra felt his grip tighten.

"My my, Shizu-chan~. So temperamental." Her head was starting to hurt from where the freaking reckless protozoan had carelessly smashed it against the brick. She reached into her pocket where she had returned the blade earlier, and she saw his eyes flick down.

Her reached out with his other hand and gripped the handle of the blade in Kanra's side, just as she held the knife against his neck.

_Smart. I guess he isn't as dumb as a rock after all. Usually he is more brawn no brains. Maybe when he gets mad, he figures out his opponents weaknesses and channels all his strength there._ Kanra thought, not breaking her gaze with the monster of Ikebukuro.

"Ah, so has Shizu-chan become murderous? Your such a heartless monster Shizu-chan, and after everything I've done for you too." Kanra said, in a false tragic tone.

"You haven't done anything for me! You only get me caught up in your stupid little schemes and I'm sick of it! You walk around stepping on everybody, acting like your some kind of god and could do nothing wrong! You expect people to worship you despite the fact that you destroy people's lives, getting them murdered or killing them by having them commit suicide, and all for the sake of your sick entertainment! You claim to love humans but your like the worst possible cancer, you parasite! Everyone would be better off without you!"

Shizuo yelled, and Kanra slowly started running out of air. The pressure from him gripping the handle so hard it bent to the shape of his palm hurt, so all Kanra did was look down at his with the psychotic grin on her face.

"There are times where the only way out is death. You can't manipulate people anymore, and there will come a time where you have buried yourself too deep in your little schemes to get yourself back out of it again. If your undeservingly lucky you may have a choice, but in the end it will still all come crashing down on you. I just wish I could be there to watch it happen." Shizuo said, and he threw Kanra down on the ground.

She landed on her back, and sharp pain shot through her as she rolled once, she tried to get to her feet and as her hand went to side her fingertips brushed the blade and it fell to the ground.

"How naive, Shizu-chan. You really have no idea, even though the answer is right in front of your eyes." She said, laughing as she stood up. Luckily the knife was just a pocket knife, but she was sure the blood loss didn't help.

"What the hell are you talking about, parasite?" Shizuo yelled, swinging a punch at Kanra's head but she just ducked, and quickly backed away from him, standing at the entry to the alleyway.

She waved, and then ran down the alleyway, hoping the enraged x-bartender wouldn't follow her.

* * *

"Freaking parasite, get the hell up." Shizuo repeated, starting to get pissed. As much as he enjoyed seeing the parasite like this it pissed him off that she was always seemingly indestructible, if anything just to solely piss him off by getting up after taking a trash bin to the head. Of course, when he wanted her to be conscious so he could ask her about the Shadow, she freaking was barely conscious.

_How the hell could someone that has fought with me and get crushed by a vending machine just to get up with hardly a scratch be injured this bad by being stabbed twice with some crappy pocketknife? I've spilt way more of her blood than those jerks. What the hell is wrong with you parasite?_

His thoughts were interrupted by Kanra.

_"Ugh." _She groaned, obviously pissed as hell. _"I feel like shit."_ She sat up and held a hand to her forehead, and Shizuo grit his teeth. She was a hell of a lot more annoying when she was fully conscious, and he didn't know which he'd prefer, semi-conscious Kanra that could respond to a question he needed to ask, or fully conscious Kanra that could respond (%99.9 of the time in a way that pissdd him off) and a hell of a lot more.

"You look like shit too, you freaking parasite." Shizuo said sourly. He saw Kanra stiffen.

_"Well Shizu-chan~, if I do look like shit, I can only imagine how you must feel looking like that everyday."_ Kanra said, getting to her feet with a evil grin on her lips. Shizuo growled, clenching his fists. He was really trying not to lose it when he wanted to find out anything he could about the Shadow.

She casually took a step back, sitting on a crate and leaning against a wall, as if she wasn't injured and stuck in an alley with him, obviously not having a care in the world. Not being able to stand looking at the parasite anymore, he looked to the side, trying to find something that would take his mind off the infuriating parasite.

_"So Shizu-chan, I must say I'm surprised. You're in the same alley with me, I'm injured, and yet your not throwing a vending machine at me, or hitting me with a street sign. What the hell do you want? Because if you aren't here for any particular reason, then get the hell away because if you haven't realized by everything I've done to you to ruin your life, I freaking hate you. I've had to deal with four too many imbeciles, don't make me add you to the list. That would have severe consequences."_ Kanra said, and Shizuo heard her tone lower, and the click of her switchblade as she flicked it out.

"Tch." Shizuo turned to look at her, rolling his eyes. He looked at the hilt of the knife sticking out from her side. It was like it didn't bother her at all.

"You probably deserved it." He said, completely pissed with her lack of caring for anything.

_"Yea~, I probably did."_ She said, tilting her head to the side and smiling, shrugging her shoulders in a carefree way. He dug his nails into his arms, trying to keep the anger at bay.

"The only reason I'm still here and haven't left you bleeding in this freaking alleyway is because I need to ask you a question, parasite." Shizuo said, gritting his teeth.

This seemed to surprise her, but if she was bothered by his answer she didnt show it, because she laughed, cocking her head to the other side in a questioning manner.

_"Oh really, Shizu-chan. And what might that be?"_

"The Shadow. What do you know about her?" Shizuo said, getting straight to the point. He didnt want to spend any more time here then he had too, and if this took any longer he would just simply walk out. She grinned and held out her hands, shrugging.

_"Who? Shizu-chan, if you must waste my time with your dumb-witted babble, at least try to make sense. I have no idea who your talking about. Is she your girlfriend? In that case Shizu-chan, I'm sorry to say that there wouldn't be a person on earth that could find someone who doesn't exist."_

The constant mention of her annoying nickname for him pushed his temper, and deliberately living to his face ticked him off more. He clenched his fists and walked straight up to the parasite, looming over her.

"Don't play stupid with me Kanra-" He started, but he was interrupted by Kanra.

_"Oh you were playing Shizu-chan? Your a better actor than your emotionless freak of a brother, Kasuka Hewajima. I really thought your were mentally retarded." _Kanra said, and as she spoke she stood and stepped forward. Shizuo took a step back, until he heard her mention her brother, which was the snapping point.

His vision fogged with red from the rage, and before he realized he moved, he held Kanra up off the ground by his hand around her neck, pushing her against the brick. His entire body shook from rage.

"Stay. Away. From. Kasuka." Shizuo panted out, his breath coming in short hisses, and he tightened his grip. She just stared down at him, smiling like a insane psychopath. He noticed a new scar running up one side of her neck, and it looked like it had been out there recently.

_"My my, Shizu-chan~. So temperamental."_

His eyes caught movement, and he noticed her flick out the switchblade. Without even thinking, he grabbed the hilt of the pocketknife in her side with his free side, his fingers curling around the knife just as her blade reached his neck. She smirked, not lowering the blade or looking away, locking her gaze on his eyes.

_"Ah, so has Shizu-chan become murderous? Your such a heartless monster Shizu-chan, and after everything I've done for you too."_ Kanra said, in a falsely tragic tone that made his blood boil. He was violent, but he wasn't murderous.

"You haven't done anything for me! You only get me caught up in your stupid little schemes and I'm sick of it! You walk around stepping on everybody, acting like your some kind of god and could do nothing wrong! You expect people to worship you despite the fact that you destroy people's lives, getting them murdered or killing them by having them commit suicide, and all for the sake of your sick entertainment! You claim to love humans but your like the worst possible cancer, you parasite! Everyone would be better off without you!" He roared, gripping the knife so tight it bent. He could tell she was having difficulty breathing, but he didn't care. He was to freaking mad.

"There are times where the only way out is death. You can't manipulate people anymore, and there will come a time where you have buried yourself too deep in your little schemes to get yourself back out of it again. If your undeservingly lucky you may have a choice, but in the end it will still all come crashing down on you. I just wish I could be there to watch it happen." Shizuo said, grabbing her and throwing her to the ground in fury. He calmed down a little, and for a moment was shocked, he couldn't believe he lost his control so badly.

She landed hard on her back, and rolled on top of the knife, and it was pulled almost all the way out. She tried to get to her feet, and when her fingertips brushed the blade it fell.

_"How naive, Shizu-chan. You really have no idea, even though the answer is right in front of your eyes."_ She stood, laughing.

"What the hell are you talking about, parasite?" Shizuo yelled, trying to punch her head, but the parasite just slipped away under his arm and waved from the entrance of the alley before taking off.

Fed up with the annoying parasite, he let her get away. He pulled out a cig and lit it, taking a drag. He set off to find his way out of the maze again, not really caring if he was up all night or what. He decided he would just take a really long walk, he didn't have to do anything tomorrow anyways.

* * *

He didn't know how much later it was when he became aware he wasn't along in the alleyway he currently was walking down. Standing up straight, he listened closely. Instead of the footsteps he expected to hear, he heard a woosh sound as a wooden bat struck him in the back of the head before he could register the sound and react.

The force from the back was so hard that the cigarette was knocked from his mouth and the bat split in two. Shizuo was knocked forward, stumbling and nearly falling on his face as his hands went up to the back of his head, blood flowing from the wound.

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Please review~! It really helps and I need input~! Even if it is simply one or two words, the fact that you took the time to review is encouragement enough.

By the way, the conversations in this chapter are important. *poker face*


	15. Return of the Shadow

Reuturn of the SHAAAAAADDDDDOOOOOWW-UH! Woot~! *punches air* I love being the Shadow, it gives me a chance to use the more uncommon weapons, such as my bow. However with Saika around, a sword isn't that uncommon... XD still haven't cut me Anri~! And I totally stopped your precious Saika _with a switchblade_. WIN! And I guess hidden blades are acceptable what with games like assassins creed and all. Haven't played it, I would have to get Namie to get me my files on games, because otherwise I'm clueless~. *regretfully*

Please Review~! It means a lot to me if you do~!

~Kanra-chan

*edit* I just realized that I posted the wrong document (which for some reason was also named return of the shadow.) for this chapter. Some how I have managed to post the wrong thing a lot lately, I'm so sorry if that has caused any confusion. *beats head against wall* ugh, so so sorry!

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Chapter 15 - Return of the Shadow

Shizuo stood hunched over, hands on the back of his head. He breathed heavily from rage, trying to control himself. Straightening he listened. This was usually the the point where whatever dumbass had hit him realized who he was and freaked out.

"You hit me in the he-" He spoke, calmly. But before he could finish his sentence the blow came again, this time down on the top of his head.

If he had any clue as to who Shizuo was he either didn't care or was incredibly oblivious. Both ways he was as dumb as shit. No, _dumber. _No one hit Shizuo Hewajima, much less twice.

"Who the hell are you bitch?" Shizuo roared, spinning around. A guy with a bad shave and a cheap grey and white zipper hoodie stood, holding the end of the broken bat in his hand.

The guy lifted up the end of the bat, obviously meaning to strike Shizuo for the third time. Shizuo stepped forward, but then all of a sudden Shizuo's vision blacked out and his head yanked down, and the bat came down a third time. He hit the ground and Shizuo realized that it was a bag that had been pulled over his head, and it must've been a second guy that did it because he saw no black bag on the hoodie.

_A bag. Bitches better run, because they have exactly two seconds left with their clothes on._

He was going to put craters in their faces as soon as he managed to get the damned thing off. Just then he felt himself being lifted up, and he punched blindly, but he just felt the person slip right below his wild punches, and in the next moment the bag was lifted from his head.

His head swinging back and forth as he got into a fight stance, left arm held out a little higher than the right, trying to find the unfortunate souls. For a moment his brain stalled as he saw two guys facedown on the pavement, knocked out cold with slashes in their clothing. Everything seemed to slow as heard a notice behind him, and his eyes slid to the left. For a moment time froze as he looked at the myth next to him.

_The Shadow was back._

* * *

She was just a little lower than his elbow, having spun around from behind him she now crouched low to the ground, right arm held out holding the intricate silver blade. The tip of the sword was caught in the jacket of a guy who was being thrown backwards through the air.

She wore the face mask again, everything below her eyes covered. Her eyes were the most vivid thing to him, standing out in a bright contrast to the darkness of everything else about her. They were midnight black, deep, and even though they were chilling when she was angry, they shone with life.

The Shadow stood up fully so she stood only a little shorter than Shizuo, watching as the guy hit the ground, not moving. Shizuo lowered his arms, looking down at the Shadow, not knowing how to react.

Her head snapped to the side at some sound Shizuo hadn't heard, and she turned, flicking out her wrist. It took a moment for the silver on both her forearms to register and for Shizuo to realize what just happened.

_Hidden blades._

She stepped forward, swiping down with her left arm and disarming a guy who had come up behind them with a crowbar, then twisting his arm as she kneed him in the gut, then yanked his arm back, and punching his face.

Soon there were about four people surrounding the two of them, and the Shadow backed up, standing back to back with Shizuo with about half a foot of space between them.

An object came flying at Shizuo's face, and before he could react a spark of silver flashed and whatever it was, was deflected, and the Shadow was standing in front of him. She shot a glance over her shoulder that clearly said _keep your eyes open and pay attention you idiot, _and then turned back to the two in front of her. She sheathed her sword and flicked her hidden blades out, twirling them so her thumbs pressed against the top of the handle and the tips of the blades ran along her forearm.

An idea came to his mind, and Shizuo figured out a way he might be able to figure out just exactly who this shadow person was.

* * *

She stepped forward, smoothly gliding around the two like liquid, dodging each attack flawlessly as she stood between them. She mainly used the hilts of the blades to strike them, as well as using their own poorly aimed attacks against them. After the two men had slammed into the brick of the wall, she turned to look and see how Shizu-chan was handling himself with the other two, expecting to see one of them flying through the air with his clothes flipping off.

Instead the sight that met her eyes chilled her blood with fury.

* * *

Shizu-chan wasn't even fighting. He just stood there, hands in his freaking pockets. He was completely freaking _ignoring_ the two men coming up behind him and just staring at her!

_Did he freaking expect me to go and save his sorry ass from having to actually use the strength he possessed? HELL no, you freaking shit! Your the damned brute with the muscles, there is no way I am going any more out of my way than I already have. Eat shit, Shizu-chan, you freaking lazy ass bastard._

She twirled the hidden blades in her fingers and flicked her wrists so they retracted back into the cases, then crossed her arms and out all her weight on her left hip, seething in a pissed off fury.

She dug her fingernails into her arms as she swore she saw Shizu-chan smirk.

_Death, Shizu-chan. Your freaking messing with death._

She returned the smirk with smug satisfaction as the blonde got hit in the head again. She wasn't worried, it was full of rocks anyway.

However, the second guy had a knife, and seemed to be the only idiot not aiming for Shizu-chan's head. No, this guy was the only major freaking retard aiming for Shizu-chan's chest. She sighed, and ran forward, not having time to flick out her hidden blades or unsheathe her sword.

She ducked low and lithely moved around Shizu-chan (who had just thrown the guy down the alley,) then pushed off the ground and tackled the guy around the waist.

They hit the ground, skidding, then rolled. The guy lay out flat behind her, and she rolled over towards him, grabbing his wrist to block his attack and pressing one knee against his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

Her hold on his wrist slipped up his hand, then to he hilt of the blade, just under the guard. The entire time she kept her grip steady, so the knife never got an inch closer. The man's arm shook, trying to push back on the knife but she was stronger than him. She slowly pressed down, and the mans eyes went from the knife in his hands to her face.

His eyes widened, and his grip slowly weakened in fear as he saw the look on her face. She squeezed her fingers hard, crushing his beneath them. She slowly weakened her hold as his hand reached his shoulder, expecting him to give up. Just as she was letting go of his fingers to take the knife away, he panicked and pushed with a strength fueled by wild fear. While she was quick to her feat, he managed to slice the inside of her forearm as she sprang back.

She looked down at her arm and then back at the guy who scrambled to his feat before she grabbed the hood of his jacket, yanking him back and then punching him in the face so he fell to the ground. He propped himself up on his elbows and she kicked him in the head as heard as she could.

She lifted the unconscious guy up by the front of his blood stained jacket and threw him into a pile of garbage bags.

She heard Shizu-chan approach her from behind, and she stiffened in fury, then whirled around, pulling out the sword and swinging directly at his face.

* * *

Shizuo Hewajima is attacked In an alley and a bag is pulled over his head. Before he can rip it off the Shadow arrives and Kanra pulls it off for him, easily dodging his blind punches. She fights the men, replacing her traditional bow with hidden blades, and only stops when she thinks Shizuo is expecting her to fight for him. He thinks her sassy attitude is amusing, but that all ends when one of the guys pulls a knife out. The Shadow tackles him, and she succeeds in disabling him from using it, but Shen she tries to disarm him the guy panics and cuts Kanra. She grabs him as he attempts to escape, and when she heard Shizuo coming up behind her, she turns of him drawing out her sword...

* * *

New question:

Do you think the Shadow will hurt Shizu-chan?

Why or why not?

Again, you don't have to answer any questions. If you review that in itself is appreciated~! Thanks so much for reading~!

~Kanra Orihara


	16. Death of the Shadow

_**Chapter 16 - Death of the Shadow**_

Shizuo watched the Shadow fight, hands in his pockets. The Shadow turned to look at him and instantly tensed, gripping the handles of the hidden blades with tight fists. She released, twirling the hidden blades then flicking her wrists inward as they retracted. She then crossed her arms and stared coldly at him, leaning on her left hip.

He smirked, amused. She seemed to think he expected her to fight for him, and was obviously pissed that he was ignoring the two men behind him. It was all he could do to not laugh his ass off when she visibly grew more pissed at seeing his smirk.

He saw her smugly return the smirk just before he was hit in the head again. As he grabbed the guy and threw him, he saw her smirk disappear and be replaced with a irritated frown. Before he could figure anything out the Shadow sprinted towards him , swerving slightly at the last second, and he heard a _oof_ as the second guy was tackled by the Shadow.

It wasn't until the Shadow had a knee in the guys chest and a hand on his wrist did he see the four inch blade of a knife. He watched as she gripped the hilt just below the guard and saw the guy freeze in fear at what was no doubt a crippling gaze. Just as the Shadow released her grip the guy pinned beneath her cried out, trying to stab the Shadow.

She sprang back and took two steps, then slowly looked down at her arm, a gash running along the inside of her forearm. It didn't look deep, but she was clearly pissed, because when she looked up the idiot scrambled to his feet. She strode forward, snatching his hood and pulling him back with a calm anger.

She punched him to the ground, kicked his face, then threw him into a pile of black plastic garbage bags. Shizuo walked up to the Shadow, standing in the middle of the alley. She stiffened, every detail of her body language screaming fury.

A streak of silver flashed past Shizuo's vision and in the next second he was staring down the blade of her sword at the Shadow. He blinked, surprised. He didn't think the Shadow would hurt him, but yet again he didn't really know her at all. Her hood covered her face, but he could tell that she was frowning.

They stood there for a moment, standing still, with the tip of the sword an inch from his face.

"Hey." He said, putting his hand in his pockets.

The Shadow's grip tightened on the sword and she twisted it, slowly bringing it closer to his face, then she whipped it down.

She lifted her shoulders, shrugging in an _are you freaking kidding me? _way, holding out her hands. It seemed all those times talking with Celty helped him be able to understand what the Shadow was trying to tell him. While Celty had typed it up on her PDA, what the Shadow was trying to express was obvious.

_Hey? __Hey?!__ Are you serious? What the hell was __that?_

"What was what?" Asked Shizuo, confused.

_Why didn't you fight back?_ The Shadow paced around, slashing with her sword for emphasis. She pointed it at Shizuo, and then slashed diagonally, then stabbed the air towards the ground. _You gave up!_

Shizuo said nothing, and the Shadow trembled in fury.

_I respected the fact that you never stopped fighting, relied on you always doing that. It was the one thing you've always done. Now when you need to fight the most, you give up? What the freaking hell?! You can't do this!_

"Calm down, I-" Shizuo was cut off by a stinging slap across the face. He looked down, shocked and a little pissed. The Shadow held the flat side of the blade of her sword across his shoulders, and was pushing him back two steps.

_You don't ever tell my what to do._ The shadow glared then pulled her sword away and took a step back.

"The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to talk to you." Shizuo said, and the Shadow froze, standing still as if thinking.

"I want to know who you are. Why are you protecting me? If your so confident in my fighting skills then why bother? And who are these guys?"

_All you need to know is that these people are dangerous. They are stupid, but I've learned to never underestimate the stupid. That is all I will tell you._

"How does that have anything to do with you?"

_If its not obvious enough, I'm on your side. Don't ask me why. I can't believe I'm freaking doing this myself._

"Who are you?" Shizuo repeated stubbornly.

_Ask me one more time and I'll cut your throat._

Shizuo growled in annoyance and looked of to the side, staring at the ground for no particular reason.

Just then some random object flew through the air, striking the Shadow on the back of the head. She stumbled forward a couple steps, one hand at the back of her head.

Shizuo heard her hiss through clenched teeth and for a moment she just stood there, head down.

His eyebrows knit in confusion. _Where did that come from?_ He wondered.

The Shadow slowly lowered her hand and lifted her head.

_They're back._

Looking around Shizuo saw a group of men walking towards them from the other end of the alley. There appeared to be fourteen of the men. The Shadow stood still, keeping her back to him, staring into space somewhere around Shizuo's left shoulder.

"So. I had a feeling you'd show up, Shadow." One of the guys said in a mocking voice.

_He knows who the Shadow is? _Shizuo thought.

Brought out of her thoughts by the voice, the Shadow looked up, then turned. She flicked out a hidden blade with the hand not holding her sword.

"Wow, for once your keeping your annoying mouth shut. I must say its preferable." The guy said. The Shadow moved for a second, as if she meant to turn and look at Shizuo, but she changed her mind and stayed still.

The group stepped closer, and the Shadow held her hand behind her back, motioning Shizuo to stay put, before sprinting forward. One guy tried to tackle her but she jumped and swung her leg around so it connected with the side of his face and his head smacked against a wall. Before he fell to the ground.

He could practically see the profound tidal waves of rage rolling off the Shadow, and saw danger written in every step she took, every inch of her body, and the sight of her sent a shock of fear desp into any foe. Stepping over the guys crumpled body, she walked forward and swept her sword across the group, disarming several of the gang members and sending the crowbars and other weapons flying.

She ran forward, jumping up and for a brief moment her figure was silhouetted against the night sky, before she came down, kicking one guy in his face and landing on his stomach as he was knocked to the ground.

She brought the handle of her blade against another guys skull hard, then spun and embedded her elbow into another's face. One guy managed to slash at her face, and as another guy grabbed her upper arm she spun, turning and using the wall to backflip, gripping the guys wrist and flipping him on top of the guy who cut her.

Shizuo saw her mouth now that the face mask had been cut, but the rest of her face was still blocked from view. She was breathing hard, kneeling on one knee from flipping. She sprang up and jumped to the side, towards Shizuo as a bar came whizzing towards her. It hit the wall with a hollow sound, and she turned to look at the guy who threw it, her back to Shizuo. The guy withered under her gaze, and she spun, kicking him in the gut so he flew back and hit the wall. Bringing a elbow back, the sound of cracking ribs rang through the air as she hit a guy in the ribs.

One guy hit her in the shoulder with a bat and she stumbled forwards towards Shizuo. He saw a small trickle of blood on her cheek from the knife the guy had cut her face mask with, and her lips parted, baring her teeth in a snarl of fury, still breathing heavily.

There was someone about the way she had bared her teeth that gave Shizuo a sense of déjà vu, and it unnerved him, the familiarity of it chilling.

Who did that remind him of?

She stood, spinning and punching a guy who had jumped at her. She ducked under the returned punch, grabbed his arm and flipped him down on the ground, dislocating it and then kicking him in head.

She jumped to the side as someone with a knife swiped at her, and as soon as one foot touched the ground she was up in the air again, landing on the ground behind him, chopping down on his shoulder so he fell to his knees, then kicking him facedown to the ground. She grinned, blocking a poorly aimed hollow bar with her hidden blade. She ran forward, leaning back and sliding under a guys kick, inches from falling flat on the ground. She turned, grabbing his ankle, then yanking and he was brought to the ground, his face hitting the pavement hard.

Then someone grabbed her hood, yanking her into the center of the group. The pull was hard enough to pull off the hood, despite the extra care she took in making sure it wouldn't come down in a fight.

_Shit!_

* * *

Shizuo saw a man (the one who had spoken before) grab the Shadow by the back of the hood, and just before she disappeared behind the remaining men, he saw it was being pulled down. He couldn't catch a glimpse of her face, though.

* * *

She landed hard on her back, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, clenching her jaw. A laceration attack had been killing her brain since some jackass had hit her in the head with who know what, and this wasn't helping.

"Well well, now look at this. The new city legend, The Shadow, turns out to be Kanra Orihara." He says, and Kanra prayed that Shizuo couldn't hear. Not much good it would do though, there was no way the hood would stay on now.

"I see you got someone to pull out my throwing blades so you could get up off the floor. Tell me, your jaw still hurt?" Kanra said quietly, standing. Return of jerk #1.

"You know, hiding you face doesn't take away the ugly, so why bother?" He said. Kanra smirked, it was a pitiful attempt at a witty remark. Anyone that saw her knew she was the furthest thing from ugly.

"Is that what you tell yourself everyday?" She replied, grinning.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around. The sudden movement made her dizzy from the laceration attack, and he was able to punch her hard enough to send her flying, the other guys in the group quickly getting out of the way. She hit the ground for the second time, and sat up, holding her head and waiting for the world to stop doing double and tilting like a drunken monkey. A sharp intake of breath made her flinch, and she tensed, realizing she had just landed in her butt right in front of a certain blonde protozoan.

Jerk #1 was dead shit once she would get her revenge. But she would worry about that later, because at the moment she was the one that was the dead shit.

She stood, still keeping her back to Shizuo, waiting for him to make the next move.

Shizuo was about to go over there and see if the Shadow was okay, it had gone on a little long with no one getting thrown out of the group, when exactly that happened, and the person landed on their butt three feet from his feet. It took a moment for him to realize that it was the Shadow that was sitting in front of him, holding a hand to her head.

He breathed in sharply, and she flinched, tensing up, then getting to her feet slowly.

Oh shit. There can't be any way in hell...

Familiar midnight black hair flowed down in gentle waves, and the way the hood laid on her back made an image of a certain parasite replace the Shadow for an instant, adding fuzz to the hood and replacing the sword with a switchblade.

The Shadow turned slowly, and Shizuo saw the familiar scars, on her neck and the faint one on her cheek, with the annoying grin on her face.

_"Hey... Shizu-chan."_

* * *

Heyy~! Kanra Orihara here~! How are my lovely humans~? I am going to miss being the Shadow. ;~; Ugh, and the Shadow is now dead all because of jerk #1. (who does not _deserve _a name in this fanfiction.) He is dead shit. Very much dead shit. He better run.

*sigh~* Im jealous of Celty, she gets to ride a motorcycle. I would loooove to do that. Unfortunately I threw those pebbles at her bike and I don't think she would let anyone use it, much less me. *poutface* well fine.

I did receive two questions by a reader-sempai, and will now answer them here.

1. Have you seen the original Harlem shake? Thoughts?

-Yes. Author-chama and I went to a school social, and they played the Harlem shake. Thoughts for social: 'hey lets all dance like we're retarded just because its on the Internet, so it must make us look cool.' *impersonating my lovely humans~.* I laughed my ass off on the inside, but on the outside I just stayed off to the side and avoided all cameras as much as possible, wearing my traditional smirk.

after I received the questions today, I looked it up. Reactions:

1. Guys + spandex/tights/any tight material = disaster. There are things that guys should never wear, that kind of fabric is one of them. One swim meet, author-chama and I walk in. First thing we see = whole line of all male polo team. Wearing speedos. And I mean the tiny ones. My eyes burned for all eternity. Did not freaking want. XD funny reactions with a friend who goes by the Internet name nutshell.

2. What the fundip? Is that a power ranger or whatever they are? And a black sumo Asian, a silver alien, and a pink dude who somehow looks familiar?

3. I've seen better arm flail Harlem shakes.

Question #2: ( a very good question, that i will now ask all off you. )

What do you think your weaknesses are?

-Aah~, my lovely human, if I had any weakness I would not tell you~. *coughcoughspiderscough* sorry, I saw Shizu-chan and choked on stupid.

So, what do you think my weaknesses are? And I encourage you to ask me more questions~!


	17. Extinguished Flames

Chapter 17 - Death of the Shadow - part 2 - Extinguished flames.

_"Hey... Shizu-chan." _

Images and memories flashed before his eyes like a movie, one after another.

_"KAANNRRAAAAA!"_

_The parasite froze, and the sign nearly missed her. She turned. "Shizu-chan~, must you be so mean?" Shizuo balled his fists as a contented smile spread across her lips. She was standing well in the shadows, so he couldn't see her all that well. _

* * *

_He felt his toe kick something and looked down. Setting the car door against the wall he picked the object up, and recognized it to be the handle of one of Kanra's switchblades. The blade seemed to be broken off._

_Wierd..._

_Shizuo had never known Kanra to break a blade... Just then he took a closer look at the throwing blade embedded in the door. Noticing a strange dark smear he pulled it out. Was it... Blood?_

* * *

_Shizuo walked closer, stopping three feet from the Shadow. She put her sword in its sheath, and stared him in the eyes. His breath caught in his throat, frozen my the burning black obsidian eyes._

* * *

_The voices and footsteps got closer and louder, and Shizuo saw glimpses of a few shoes or jackets a couple alleyways down. Kanra's head popped up, and she peeked around the trash bin._

_"Dammit! Freaking Bitch got away!" Shizuo saw Kanra grin. _

_"Great. Now that she has gotten to fast there is nothing to do anymore." _

_"What about Shizuo?"_

_"No, we can't. What if the Shadow shows up? It doesn't seem to like us getting near him." _

_"Nah, they probably made it up. Shizuo probably just beat them up."_

_"Besides, even if it is real, I doubt it will show up again."_

_The voices faded as the group walked away. Shizuo saw Kanra stand, and walk off, grinning. _

* * *

_"Oh come on, Shizu-chan~! What did I do?" Kanra said, mocking him with that freaking grin._

_"SHUT UP PARASITE! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID! YOU EXIST TO MAKE MY LIFE A FREAKING HELL!" He roared. He started to run towards Kanra. He pulled back his right fist, and tried to punch Kanra, but the freaking parasite just smoothly stepped to the side, sticking out a foot and tripping him._

_He fell forward, and when he rolled over, he saw her looking down at him as if he were beneath her, like she ruled the world and he deserved to be below her. Just as he was about to get up, her words stopped him._

_"Ah, poor Shizu-chan~. So naive~. I do a lot more for you than make your life hell for my own personal entertainment~." Kanra grinned, and she laughed. The way she said it made it sound like she was secretly doing something good for him._

_That is such freaking shit. Kanra Orihara? Do something good for him? Out of free will? Hell no._

_"Of course I'd never tell you exactly what those things are." She said, kneeling down and leaning close so he heard her when she whispered to him._

_The thought of Kanra toying around with his life pissed Shizuo off._

_"JUST STAY THE FREAKING HELL AWAY FROM ME PARASITE! MY LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE BETTER OFF IF YOU WERE NEVER AROUND!" He yelled, ripping out a street sign and running towards Kanra. She was backing away and had another grin on her face._

* * *

_"Ah, so has Shizu-chan become murderous? Your such a heartless monster Shizu-chan, and after everything I've done for you too." Kanra said, in a falsely tragic tone that made his blood boil. He was violent, but he wasn't murderous._

* * *

_"How naive, Shizu-chan. You really have no idea, even though the answer is right in front of your eyes." She stood, laughing._

_"What the hell are you talking about, parasite?" Shizuo yelled, trying to punch her head, but the parasite just slipped away under his arm and waved from the entrance of the alley before taking off._

* * *

_**Kanra hiding in the shadows.**_

_**The broken blade and the blood on the knife.**_

_**The eyes.**_

_**Her grin as she left.**_

_**"...I do a lot more for you than make your life hell..."**_

_**"...such a heartless monster Shizu-chan, and after everything I've done for you too." **_

_**"...the answer is right in front of your eyes."**_

_**The new and mysterious scars. **_

Could it be...?

Kanra. It was Kanra the entire time. All along, and she left the little clues behind, knowing I wouldn't even dare to put them together. This has to be some kind of trick...

Shizuo's mind raced to find something, some flaw, that would show that this was just another one of her tricks. But he couldn't figure it out. If it wasn't a trick, then why would she do this? What could she possibly gain?

Shizuo looked at the girl in front of him, grinning. He took in everything all at one, the angry white scar that ran up along the side of her neck, the thin cut on her cheek, the scar running along her cheekbone, her stance, the way she fought, her snarl, her eyes. Everything.

Shizuo was pissed at himself, the freaking parasite fooled him again. She knew that he would stubbornly ignore the similarities because he wouldn't want to accept that she of all people was the Shadow. This must just be some elaborate plan to trick him.

"What the hell are you planning, parasite? What game are you controlling now?" Shizuo asked, pissed.

"Sadly not my own." Kanra said, smirking. Shizuo would have called her a freaking liar, if it weren't for something in her eyes that threw him off.

The guy from before stepped forward, pulling something black out from the inside of the jacket. Kanra whipped around, and when she looked back at Shizuo her face was deadly grim.

"Get to Celty, stay there. She will protect you." Kanra said, and Shizuo was inwardly astounded at the hardness in her eyes, the firm tone.

"Why the hell-"

"Shizuo get the hell out _now_. I don't have time to deal with your childish stubbornness, now _go!"_ Kanra spoke, still keeping her voice low so the gang wouldn't hear her. Before Shizuo would do anything, the black outfit disappeared into smoke, and Kanra reached into the pocket of her fuzzy jacket, sending a hail of throwing blades at a questionably sturdy wooden contruction structure of some sorts that was on top of the lower building above them. Kanra ran and jumped up on the garbage can next to her, scaling the bricks as fast as she could as a pinging sound rang the the air and sparks appeared below her feet.

She gripped a rope hanging on the structure, pulling it down so the entire structure fell into the alleyway, jumping back to avoid getting crushed.

The last Shizuo saw of Kanra was her bringing her arm down onto the gun, trying to knock it out of the guys hand, then looking over her shoulder, eyes sending a clear message.

_**GO.**_

* * *

Shizuo stood there for a second, trying to absorb what happened. Then everything clicked and his face contorted in rage.

What the HELL was Celty doing giving Kanra a suit? Shizuo knew those shadows anywhere, he had received a pair of gloves from the Dullahan.

Oh he was going to Celty, that was for damned sure. He was going over there and demanding that his best friend explain helping out his worst enemy.

* * *

Shizuo stood there, blinked, and then his face contorted in rage.

"What the hell are you planning, parasite? What game are you controlling now?" He growled.

Kanra smirked. "Sadly not my own." Kanra said, and this seemed to throw Shizu-chan off.

She heard jerk #1 struggle through the group, and when she turned she saw his hand in his jacket. Instantly realizing what the object was, her head whipped around, and she put every bit of deathly seriousness into her tone. "Get to Celty, stay there. She will protect you." Kanra said, and she saw Shizu-chan was protesting, obviously not trusting her.

"Why the hell-"

"Shizuo get the hell out _now. _I don't have time to deal with your childish stubbornness, now _go!"_ Kanra spoke quietly so jerk #1 didn't hear her. Before Shizuo would do anything, Kanra made the black outfit disappeared into smoke as Celty instructed her to do if she needed.

She reached into the pocket of her fuzzy jacket, threw a lot throwing blades at the structure she noticed when she was thinking earlier just after being hit in the head. Glad she had thought ahead, Kanra ran and jumped up on the garbage can next to her, scaling the bricks as fast as she could as jerk #1 started firing at her.

Jumping up, Kanra gripped a rope hanging on the structure, and pulled it down so the entire structure fell into the alleyway, flipping backward off it and landing in front of jerk #1, knocking the gun from his hands.

She looked back and barely saw Shizuo through gaps in the still falling structure, urging him to go with her eyes. She turned her attention back to jerk #1 and kicked the gun away, twisting his arm and hearing a satisfying sickening snap.

She ran past jerk #1, leaving him howling and gripping the unnaturally bent and twisted arm. She ducked and dove past the rest of the group, laughing and taunting them, pleased to see they followed her as she had hopped they would.

"Drop dead, you dumbasses!" She called over her shoulder, turning to throw some more blades as she jumped backwards so she flew through the air instead of having to worry about tripping while running backwards.

Just as she was leaping back it was as if time slowed down, and she heard a distant sound, and a light flashed. A thunder storm?

A searing stabbing pain ripped through her, somewhere in the abdomen, and the grin slowly died on her face.

Red burst from her side, and Kanra landed on her back, skidding. She stared at the sky that grew ever darker above her, the light in her eyes flickering, then finally...

_...the fire died out. _

* * *

She felt numb all over, yet somehow at the same time pain tore through her at a massive laceration attack, steadily growing worse. She was pissed, it was unfair. Even as she lost consciousness she still felt the pain of the lacerations, the only thing accompanying her in the dark blackness that was engulfing her, aside from a strange feeling of being cold. Like ice replaced the blood in her veins.

She vaguely felt herself being lifted roughly up, and then a sensation of running into a brick wall came, that mercifully knocked everything else out of her world, the pain, the blackness, everything.

There was nothing.

* * *

Suspense? }:3 I hope. I'm a little tied up now, because things I wanted to happen aren't fitting in and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make this work for the best.

Kanra Here~! While author-chama goes to pull her hair out and try to figure out the story, I have two anon-sempai that reviewed! Thank you~!

To my first anon-sempai:

Guest 3/10/13 . chapter 16

I love your story :)  
I can't wait to see what happens next!

awwwww~ Thank you! It's nice to hear you say you love my story.

~(•v•~)

(~•v•)~

~(^v^)~

And my second lovely anon-sempai replied to my question:

No emotion 3/10/13 . chapter 16

Your weakness is spiders.  
And you're too cocky, WAY too cocky.

_ (/•o•)/ ! _

*(-foul demon)

CRASH BANG SMASH SHATTER SMACK VROOSH! 'BURN!'

\(•u•)/ ~!

... (-.-#) -Namie.

#(-no longer)

Cocky? Oh, lovely human~!

( •_•)

(•_• )

(•_•)

( •_•)/⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

Deal with it.

^OHHH YEAHH~! *and just to give credit because she would probably come eat my SOUL if I take something that she ''was just starting to make 'her' thing" again, Rain~ came up with that. I just added the first two faces.

Ill be replying to every review from now on, so here is a review from another Anon-sempai.

Guest 3/10/13 . chapter 17

That was quite thrilling!

Why thank you~! Author-chama thinks I'm having too much fun. (too much fun results in he following things getting set on fire: fire houses, trucks, hoses, extinguishers, hydrants, escapes, anything else ironic, and the creation of flamethrower-fire extinguishers. Kanra+fire+irony= unholy trio. Be Afraid. Be very afraid. }:3 )


	18. Caged Soul

Chapter 18 - Caged Soul

_"Celty what the hell!?"_ Shizuo roared, breaking down Shinra's door. He was so pissed red fogged his vision, but under all that anger was hurt.

The Dullahan was one of the few people who truly understood Shizuo. And now Kanra had put a mark on that too, just like she had put some kind of damage on every other relationship he had with people. At that thought his fury swelled, and it wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder did he realize the Dullahan was standing next to him.

He wanted to shrug her hand off his shoulder, but he cared to much for the Dullahan to do that.

"Sorry..." He said, awkwardly placing the door in the frame. He was still brimming with fury, but Celty had managed to calm him down a bit, another reason why he felt affection towards her. He didn't like her romantically or anything, he just really liked her as a friend. Shinra was ok, maybe a little irritating and strangely always cheerful, but still okay just the same.

_[ I have a feeling this is something we should discuss sitting down. ]_

"Right." Shizuo said, following her to the couch.

_[ What's going on? ]_

Shizuo had to smile a little. She didn't waste time by asking if everything was alright when it clearly wasn't. Shizuo was rarely violent or angry with the Dullahan.

"Why did you help her? Did she force you or anything?" Shizuo said, trying to avoid using the parasites name because he knew it would piss him off, but it didn't do any good because the thought of Celty being forced to do anything by that psycho was enough to make his veins pop out.

Even though Shizuo hadn't said her name, Celty knew it was Kanra by the way he was so pissed.

_[ No, she didn't. And I helped her because I wanted to. What happened? ]_

Shizuo took a deep breath and told Celty everything. At some point Shinra walked in, but Shizuo hadn't noticed because for once Shinra was uncharacteristically quiet.

_[ Did she get shot? ]_

"No, the little parasite was to quick for them. They only hit the brick below her heels. Freaking parkour flea. She enjoys climbing walls too much." Shizuo said.

_[ Do you think she got caught? ]_

"Kanra? Tch. Like they'd be able to catch her. She slips away and prances all over the place. The devil himself couldn't catch her. It would be easier to nail smoke to a wall."

"I don't know..." Shinra spoke up, more talking to himself than anyone else. He was pinching his chin in thought. "If there were any more troubles with the side effects..." He said. Looking up at Shizuo's confused and pissed face, he went white, eyes widening.

"What did you say?" Shizuo said slowly, his tone promising death.

"N-nothing, just thinking aloud!" Shinra stammered. "Heh, heh. Just still got my job on the mind, that's all." He said, only half-lieing.

Shizuo grumbled. He knew Shinra was keeping something from him, and Shizuo hadn't decided if it was something he should be concerned about getting the doctor to tell what it was or not.

_[ I don't know. With Kanra, its hard to tell what she could mean by sending you here, but all the same I think its a good idea. ]_

Shizuo still felt a little hurt but all the same he wanted to trust his friend. Giving in he sighed.

"Alright. But only because you agree with the parasite." Shizuo said.

* * *

"Celty, I'm worried about Kanra." Shinra said, once they were out of earshot. "It's been weeks, and every medication I've tried hasn't worked."

_[ Its alright. This is Kanra were talking about after all. She is borderline insane. The girl built herself a flamethrower that looked like a fire extinguisher just for laughs. ]_

Shinra knew that last comment was meant to cheer him up, and at first he only cracked a small smile because it was his dearest Celty, but he had to grin at the memory of Kanra and her mischief.

On that certain occasion... Well... Lets just say that it is one he, nor the people at the fire station would soon forget. Kanra had problems with her lungs for a while afterwards because she inhaled too much ashes and smoke from laughing to hard, and had to be carried it because all she could do was stand there clutching her side and laugh. The fire fighters didnt find it so funny. How in the hell Kanra managed to light a fire hydrant, escape, and extinguisher on fire, Shinra had no idea.

"You're probably right." Shinra said, cheering up.

_[ Besides, if we don't see or hear from Kanra in a few days I'll go take a look and find her. ]_

"Sure Celty~." Shinra said.

* * *

"Kanra. Get up." The soft voice floated through her consciousness. Kanra tried not to groan. Sharp pains tore through her, and she felt like she could hardly move.

Opening her eyes she thought she saw someone walking towards her through the blackness that was everywhere, holding out a hand and smiling.

"Izaya?" Kanra asked.

But then everything vanished into nothingness again.

* * *

_Those who live are the ones that fight. Now get up Kanra. Light the inner fire._

Her soul sparked to life, like a flame, spluttering and flickering, then for a moment dieing down, before igniting and flaring up, burning brighter than before.

Finally. Kanra was back.

She felt stiff all over, and it took her a moment to realize she was cold.

She breathed in through her nose, lifting her head and smiling, before exhaling slowly and opening her eyes.

The place she was in was too dark for her to tell where she was, and her head hurt to much to figure out by hearing if it was large space or what.

She realized that her wrists were shackled together above her head by chains, with thick cold metal cuffs that hurt her skinny wrists.

_Tch. Finally. Realize that rope didn't work so well now, did they? Damned freaking dipshits._

A grin spread across her face. She lay slumped against cold stone. Her head rested against the wall, and she laughed, head rolling to the side, so it lay against her arm.

"Heh heh heh, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now, Kanra~?" She laughed. She felt a uncomfortable pain in her side. Sifting her weight she looked down and saw her shirt was covered in crusted blood.

_Ho shit, the hell is this?_ She thought, grinning. What a situation she was in! How exciting!

Wincing as she discovered the cold hadn't nearly numbed the freaking thing enough to move much, her memories flashed before her eyes.

_**THAT SON OF A FREAKING BITCH SHOT ME! HE IS SUCH FREAKING DEAD SHIT THAT ASS! **_Kanra thought as her lips twisted into a discontented frown.

She wondered how long she had been out. If she was lucky, the bullet only went through the muscle tissue, and wouldn't have to be removed. If she wasn't then it passed through where her appendix used to be, and recovery would be longer. If Shinra were here he'd be probably fussing around and babbling on and on about how she should feel lucky to be alive from an abdominal gun wound. She let out a bored and annoyed sigh, looking up to the ceiling.

Now that she was able to see the place much clearer, she saw she was in some kind of prison type cell, stone walls and floor, black metal bars and a wooden bench thing suspended to the wall and held up by thick black chains. She rolled her eyes and noticed a window, seeing a gray sky with the light filtering in through it.

_So bored~_ She yawned, feeling tired. Deciding there was nothing better to do she pulled her feet an inch or so closer, getting into a more comfortable position before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Kanra woke to the sound of a door opening. She lifted her head and grinned as she saw Taisho enter through a metal door with a tiny thick glass window. "Well, Hello~! It's so wonderful to see you~!" She called, her voice as sweet as honey, but her eyes as sharp as daggers.

Taisho stood in the other half of the room, separated from Kanra by the black bars. She pulled herself up by her cuffed wrists, ignoring how the cold tight metal bit into her skin, holding her wrists so they were next to her left ear, grinning at Taisho the entire time.

"You've been here for three days, unconscious." Taisho said, in a flat, emotionless voice.

"Well, that tends to happen when someone is _shot,_ dumbass." Kanra said, voice turning bitter.

Taisho smiled. "Well that tends to happen when you ruin someone's life, bitch."

Kanra stood and strode as far as she could before the chains yanked her back. She snarled, staring him in the eyes with a venomous glare.

"Careful what you do Kanra, I've got cameras set up all around the room, one right in the corner there." Taisho said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. Taking a step back Kanra saw that there was a camera. She smirked and waved, flipping it off with the second hand.

Taisho waved a hand and the bars were lifted. Kanra stayed absolutely still, watching him pull out a key and walk towards her. She let him get to the point where he stood next to her before she brought her knee up to his stomach, and as he doubled over she slammed both elbows down on his back as hard as she could, then gripped the back of his shirt and swung him around so his side collided with the stone walls.

A grin was spread wide across her face, and her eyes burned with life. She shrugged at Taisho, and before she could kick him he punched her hard in the gut, right where the healing bullet wound was. Her vision went black, and she felt him grip her hair on the side of her head, and she was knocked out as he slammed it against the wall.

* * *

When Kanra awoke she was laying on the wooden bench, which she realized now was some kind of sucky bed, but it at least beat sleeping on the floor. She sat up, decided bettor of it at the pain in her side, and slowly laid back down with one hand pressed to the wound.

She opened her eyes and held up her hands, realizing that instead of them being cuffed together only her right hand was cuffed, and it was with a much larger chain.

_So Taisho has decided to give me the freedom of being able to move around my cell, how nice._

She tried to sit up again, and found it bearable. Kanra smiles as she notices that morning blue hue around her. Sighing, she gets to her feet and walks to the window. It to high to look out of, but she still stands there smiling looking at the sky. Reaching up, her fingers brush the bars.

_Caged._

A voice from deep within her spoke, yet it didn't come from her.

"Hello, Kanra."

She stiffened, her fingertips flying back as if shocked by the cold metal.

A chilling yet beautiful laugh rang through the empty room, bouncing off the hard rough rock walls. This hadn't happened in a long while... She had forgotten all about him.

"Oh, Kanra-chan~! You can't possibly forget about me~!" The voice cooed, and Kanra frowned.

He brought back too many human memories. She didn't want to remember them, because they were a time where she had human emotions. That was far in the past, when she was little. By burning that and disposing of them forever she became who she was now.

"Hiding from your past does nothing, Kanra-chan. Just as it is with guilt, when you try to run away or forget something that cannot be changed, it will become your god."

Kanra balled her hands in tight fists. "How dare you throw my own words against me."

"Oh, but I am the only one who can do to you what you do to my lovely humans. I'm the only one that can manipulate you."

"Go away! Just leave me alone. I don't have time to deal with you." Kanra said, still not turning around.

"My dear Kanra-chan~, you don't mean that. I'm still here, so in truth you want me to stay."

Kanra sighed in defeat. She turned around to see a raven haired guy with the same brown eyes as she, same fuzzy jacket, similar black jeans and shirt. He grinned, leaning against the wall.

"Hey... _Izaya."_

* * *

Heyy~! Kanra-chan here~! Author-chama has finally deemed this worthy of being posted, so here is the next chapter~!

Kanra-chan fan 3/11/13 . chapter 17

NOOOO! Kanra! Don't die! :'(

Lol, from ch. 17, but ill still reply as promised~!

Witch King of Angmar: "Do you not know death when you see it?"

Kanra: ...

( •_•)/⌐■-■

(⌐■_■) "Bitch please, I look in the mirror every morning~!"

Lesson to be learned here, my dear fan. *lol, luv the name~*

Kanra is death. She doesn't die. *poker face*

Anonymous 3/11/13 . chapter 11

Oh my god that's great! I love the titles of the chapters, they are really good!

Aww thanks~! I just put what comes to mind up. ^w^

Author-chama will struggle through wrestling the rest of the story in line, and I'll answer any reviews~! I hope you all enjoy the story~! Thanks for sticking through it~!


	19. Forgotten Dreams

Chapter 19 - Forgotten Dreams

A teenaged Kanra Orihara sat in the familiar alleyway, feeling a sense of déjà vu. it was strong enough to bring back memories, memories of the times she sat here as a little girl.

* * *

A small figure sat with her knees up, back against the wall, staring straight ahead as she sat in the corner of the alleyway. Her face was emotionless, and she just stayed still, the only movement was her chest rising and falling as she breathed slowly.

She hated the world she was stuck in. There was nothing extraordinary. Nothing wild, nothing free. She was a sweet girl, quiet and empathetic. She kept to herself, content to stand off to the side and watch. She wasn't shy, a fact plainly obvious in the way she acted. A shy girl would hide her face and curl up, trying to become smaller in an attempt to disappear. Instead she was open and relaxed, and had a certain vibe of independence. Though this threw the other kids off, and with time they grew to see her as strange. An outsider. Not normal.

"I'm only human~." A phrase she used far too often. A smile that was too worn out, with no one to care enough to notice. It started feeling like a lie to her, like she was trying to convince herself that she was like the other kids, while at the same time trying to bring it to their eyes as well. She finally tried to interact with her classmates outside of class and doing schoolwork, but was shut down.

* * *

"Hey! Nichol! Wait up!" Kanra shouted, raising her arm up and running, backpack bouncing against her lower back.

"Um..." Nichol said, looking down at the small raven bent over, panting from running across the schoolyard. She twisted a light brown pigtail, frowning.

"H-hi." Kanra said, still a little winded. She looked up and grinned brightly. "I heard you were having a birthday party this weekend, and it was open for the entire class. You said you weren't looking for presents, but I was wondering if it would be alright if I got you one anyway? I didn't want you to get in trouble with your mom or anything." Kanra said, standing upright.

"Uhh... Yeah, about that..." Nichol said, looking around at anything but Kanra. She twisted her pigtail more rapidly, fingers getting tangled in her hair as she bit her lower lip.

Deep inside Kanra a shadow of a frown formed, though she was careful to not let it show on her face. She felt a tug at her gut, a familiar bad feeling coming over her like a dark cloud.

Nichol's friends behind her giggled, holding their hands up and leaning in to each other to whisper as they pointed at Kanra. Kanra immediately shut off the instinctive reaction to listen closely. She had learned the hard way that it was best to not listen. She already knew what they were saying. Kanra focused instead on Nichol, who was still flitting her gaze about nervously.

"Well... The party... It's uh, it's canceled. You can't come Kanra." Nichol said, looking away.

"..I-" She started, but Nichol hastily interrupted her.

"Got to go bye!" She said and abruptly turned on her heel and ran.

"...bye." Kanra said quietly, in a soft voice, not really talking to anyone. She stood alone in the schoolyard, looking at the cool, smooth black pavement. Her voice and face was devoid of emotion. This was a far too familiar situation. Nothing new.

_"Well... The party... It's uh, it's canceled. You can't come Kanra." _

_You were lying. _

Kanra had spent too much time watching her classmates to be fooled. And deep down she started to faintly recognize patterns in human behavior, though it would be a couple more years before she picked those patterns out and understood them.

Eventually, the sweet girl was shattered, and a dark side to replaced it.

* * *

"Augh!"

_Oh no. Shit._ Kanra faked a laugh, running around the play structure, pretending to not have heard the girl.

_Dammit, I was aiming for Trent. Why'd Krista have to be so freaking close?!_

"Hahaha, got ya Trent!" Kanra laughed, holding up the empty cup. Her class had been out on field day, and Kanra had noticed that some of her classmates had left their stations to go play off in the middle schooler's section of the schoolyard, dousing each other with cups of water after the water balloons were gone.

She had sat aside again, at the worst station with some crappy game where she had been stuck with since everyone else teamed up or tripled up with friends at their stations, which were now run by parent volunteers. More like little kids just ran around and did whatever while the adults talked. Kanra's parents weren't there, they were always on buisness trips. She had been stuck with a Russian nanny who cussed at her and threw things, and had a terrible smoking habit, until finally quitting when Kanra was seven. She had convinced her parents she was old enough to be on her own, and walked to and from school all the time.

"Yeah whatever." Trent said, and Kanra pretended not to notice, acting as if something had caught her eye in some random direction as she simultaneously ignored the irritated voices coming from the group of girls as well as Trent's comment.

"Wow, god _Kanra_," Krista said, slurring Kanra's name in a way that sent sharp needles prickling across her skin as Kanra's back tensed in annoyance. "that was really rude." Kanra wanted to hurl. The way Krista said that would've made anyone feel like they were the most vile trash, especially with the way the three other girls behind her all crossed their arms and were leaning on one hip, frowning down with the most sour glares on the earth.

_Wow, no need to look so ugly with those looks. You change a pretty face to revolting in seconds with those expressions._

Kanra thought sourly, though she kept her cheery innocent mask on.

"Huh?" Kanra said, tilting her head to the side and drawing her eyebrows together partially, putting on a mastered look of oblivious confusion.

"You just got my phone wet, god!" Krista said, and the girls behind her all rolled their eyes and muttered things like, "tch, seriously? She's such a weirdo. Yeah, it's like she's some kind of dumb animal. It's so obvious."

Kanra pretended she didn't hear, and widened her eyes, raising her eyebrows and opening her mouth in a perfected false surprise.

_Shit, her phone? I just thought she was pissed for getting her hair wet or something. _

"Oh my god I'm so sorry! Is it alright? I'm incredibly sorry, I had no idea I got you too. I was just aiming for Trent, honestly, I'm really sorry." Kanra begged forgiveness, her voice sugary and sweet, a tone of regret and sorrow blended in.

_I'm so freaking sick of kissing their asses..._

_I love humans. I love them so much. But why don't they love me back?_

* * *

With nothing to do outside of school, Kanra began reading. She found her own little world, where anything was possible, and she connected with the characters in the books. She obsessed over each story, analyzing the motives of each individual character, following the character development, and placing herself in the story, sometimes reading it as herself as a character, or putting herself as a extra character, imaging how the other characters would interact with her, what they'd say and do.

She longed to be in that kind of world, and sometimes it hurt so much it could bring tears to her eyes. But once she reached seventh grade that novelty died out. She let the imaginative side of her die off, waking up to a dark reality. But she did find that she wanted to change things, and become someone perfect, that was untouchable.

She wanted to be everything she wasn't, or couldn't. She wanted to be someone that was mysterious, someone that stayed in the shadows, and someone that would be awe inspiring in action. It was someone she couldn't even begin to describe, and could only become when she had the rare wonderful lucid dreams, only to wake up and return to reality.

She didn't really care about becoming that person for the approval of others, she had built her walls a little to thick to care about that. Now it was just a way to escape everyday life, to the world she wanted it to be. A world dominated by her.

* * *

She used to wish she could come back and shock everyone that had ever put her down as they saw her so high above them they were nothing to her, and they could only watch as she passed by. But now, things had changed. Those humans meant nothing to her, and it was laughable she had ever bent down to them.

"How interesting. You have put every hurtful word or action behind you and you have become someone untouchable. You don't allow yourself to be hurt or damaged by the people of your past anymore." Izaya spoke, sitting down next to the girl.

"It took a while, but yeah. Over time I've steeled myself. They can't touch me." She said.

"And yet you continue to become someone you though you couldn't be, climbing as high as you can though you know if you do that and cling to your old life you'll never reach the peak." He spoke.

Kanra nodded. "I've let everything go. There isn't a thing left that holds me back."

"And are you sure you have no regrets?" Izaya asked.

"Positive." She said, a sharp grin spreading across her face. She stood, and left the alley. She never stopped to look back at a person who was no longer there, or anywhere. With her past Izaya disappeared too, no longer needing him anymore. She created him as an extension of herself, and he helped her become who she was until she was able to find the way on her own.

In that same year she met Shizuo Hewajima, starting off the unending hatred that would last a lifetime.

And finally, Kanra was on the top, the long path behind her fell away and she was strong, independent, and untouchable. She was able to shape the minds of her humans to her will with her words.

* * *

Kanra was shaken from her thoughts by Izaya's voice.

"Now do you remember anything worth fighting for?" Izaya asked, and his eyes shone with meaning.

Kanra held his stare, and nodded. She knew what he meant. The two of them knew what was coming, and she knew if Izaya hadn't shown up she wouldn't be able to take it.

She knew what she was going to do.

* * *

Heyy~! I completely changed it I know! There was too much wrong with it and I had actually rewritten it quite a bit ago... But somehow the Internet crapped out and it must have not saved, lol oh well that's life I guess.

Anyways, past reveal! What do you think? How is it? Does it make sense? Left me hear your thoughts, and if you have any questions, ask~! Sorry it took so long to update! I hope you enjoy this, and thanks a million for keeping with the story. ^u^

~Kanra

XD i got a review~! XDD

Guest 3/14/13 . chapter 18

KanraxIzaya ship

Is that a question, statement, or suggestion? Lol, it wasn't meant to be a KanraxIzaya ship, but I guess it is up to you~. Thanks for reviewing~!


	20. Fighting to Death

Chapter 20 - Fighting to Death

Kanra lay on the cold and unforgiving floor with her cheek pressed against it, eyes closed. A small amount of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, where the lip was split. She tried to anticipate when and where the next attack was so she could counter it but she couldn't break through the fire engulfing her, as the pain tore through her. Just then a sharp blow met her gut and she curled, standing up as fast as she could, yet not feeling steady on her feet.

_This has been going on too long._

She met the gaze of the guy facing her, a tall brute with large hairy arms and a foul attitude, who carried a long chain, gritting it tight in his fists. She took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose and closing her eyes, shifting fluidly into a stance, feet shoulder length apart and hands out. She exhaled and sent a sharp icy glare at him, jaw clenched, and the fires subdued, leaving a blissfully dark rage in its place.

She watched his every minuscule move, calculating, and stepped forward as he raised his arm and swung the chain around towards her. She didn't even so much as blink as it struck the outside of her left forearm, which she had held up to block it, as she gripped the chain and kicked up, nailing him in the teeth.

He howled and let go of the chain, and she slipped around him as his hands went to his bloody mouth, swinging the chain around and gripping it with both hands as it wrapped around his neck. She held it tightly as she swung the brute around and smashed his face into the stone wall, then throwing him down to the floor.

She heard a whine of rusty metal as the door to the cell she was in opened and three more guys joined her. She looked up with a fierce glare, and let go of the chain with her right hand, whipping it out with her left.

She stood from where she was kneeling, pacing to the side, standing in the center of the room. The bars had raised 3/4ths of the way so only 1/4th of the entire thing was above her. She stood glaring at the three newcomers as if _daring_ them to take one step closer.

She shifted her weight and transferred it to her right, and the guy in the middle of the three ran forward, raising a pipe above his head. Kanra swung the chain, knocking the pipe out of his hands and holding out a fist so he ran right into it, then kicking him in the hip and watching as he was slammed against the wall. She swung the chain back, then whipped it upwards so it coiled around the base of the bars above her, she jumped up as the two men that had ran at her passed under her, holding the base of the bars with her hands.

She hoisted herself up, pleased to find that even after the long time of all this shit she had been through she still had the upper arm strength she developed in mastering parkour. Just then she heard a metal sound above her, and her eyes widened in realization just a split second before the metal bars were set loose and dropped.

She didn't have the time to react as she found herself falling fast and hard, as the heavy bars pushed down on her. The next moment she was flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling which was slanting and blurring out of focus as the metal bars crashed down on top of her diaphragm, knocking the breath out of her.

She slowly faded out of the world, as six people bent over her. She only recognized one, no.. Two. Since when were there _two_ Izaya's? She inwardly smirked as a thought of what Shizu-chan's reaction to _three_ Orihara running around Ikebukuro would be. The damn protozoan would have a heart attack. That would be nice.

* * *

Two weeks. Two freaking weeks stuck at Celty and Shinra's with nothing to do. Two damned weeks with no sign of the freaking Orihara parasite.

Celty had finally let Shizuo get back to work with Tom providing she was less than a minute away on her bike. Damn parasite better hope this wasn't some trick. If it was, he was going to crush her with a vending machine for all the shit she put him through.

Shinra was steadily growing less and less cheerful which had Celty worried. There was some shit going on with the parasite, and normally Shizuo would mind his own business but he knew that it had something to do with him (even if marginally so,) and he hated to be left out on things that affected him, especially when it involved Kanra.

Shizuo was growing more and more violent. Usually the parasite served as his outlet to his anger (90% caused by her) and half of Shizuo was thankful she was always one step ahead of him, and the only close calls he had get from her were because she allowed herself to get nicked or brushed by whatever (heavy/sharp) projectile sent her way, which meant excluding Simon she was the only person who would return day after day for another fight. Yet that part of him was often forgotten in his rage as the only things going through his mind were _**kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill.**_

Tom had finally decided after about the fifth day in a row some poor unfortunate soul had been taught the lessons of gravity and how humans aren't meant to be airborne to give Shizuo a break. So now the grumpy blonde sat on Shinra's couch with his arms crossed and stared down the coffee table as if he were shooting poison daggers from his eyes.

He heard the door open and noises of Shinra and Celty coming down the hallway. He looked up to see the Dullahan shove her PDA in his face.

_[Did you go to Kanra's place at any time, Shizuo?]_

He could sense the urgency and slight anger (or was it some other unhappy emotion?) in her words, so he bit down on the sour retort that was reflexively rising from his throat.

"No. I haven't set foot out of Ikebukuro much less go all the way to Shinjiku. Why?" He asked, sitting up and I crossing his arms.

Ignoring the blonde's question She set a crumpled brown paper bag down on the table and sat down next to Shizuo.

She opened it and turned it upside down, spilling its contents onto the table surface. There was a envelope and a signature switchblade.

_[I went to check Kanra's apartment to see if there had been anything that could give us am idea as to where she was. I found the envelope stuck to her desk by the tip of the knife. I sent Namie a text and she said that she hadn't noticed anything yesterday when she came in to sort papers and take care of Kanra's business schedule for the next month.]_

Shizuo looked at the envelope, frowning. Shinra picked it up and weighed it in his hand. He wordlessly walked to the computer, and Celty and Shinra followed him. The doctor sat down, turning the monitor on and opening the envelope.

"Just as I thought." Shinra said, adjusting his glasses and holding his palm out flat as he gently shook the envelope. A metal disk slid out onto his open hand.

_[A CD?]_ Celty asked, her cocking her nonexistent head to the side.

Shinra nodded. He slid it into the computer, and they all waited as it loaded, tense with anticipation.

"Do you think it will tell us where Kanra is?" Shizuo asked.

"I don't know, but we'll find out. It may even be from Kanra herself." Shinra said, but he immediately stopped talking as the video started playing. He quickly put it in full screen. It was showing an alleyway.

Just then Kanra came into view, sprinting around a corner.

"Drop dead, you dumbasses!" She called over her shoulder, turning around and jumping backwards hand reaching into her pocket for what they guessed was her throwing blades.

There was a loud bang, and a flash of light, and just like that the entire atmosphere in the room changed, feeling like it was plunged in ice as they stared at the computer monitor. They watched the sharpness of her glare fade, and the grin on her face died. A bullet that was too small and fast to be caught on tape hit her stomach, and blood spattered the ground as Kanra landed flat on her back, skidding, then laying still. Motionless.

Someone walked up to the informant, and knelt down, putting a gun away in his belt, before roughly scooping Kanra up in his arms, one arm supporting her back and the other supporting her legs, almost like a groom carried a bride.

Her head fell against his shoulder and he stood, carrying her off. Shinra paused the video.

"Shizuo. You're bleeding." Shinra said, and Shizuo looked down at his hands. He had been clenching his fists without even realizing it. He was so incredibly pissed. How the hell did that freaking parasite let herself get shot? What the freaking hell was wrong with her?

Before Shizuo could ask, Celty interrupted his train of thought.

_[Shinra get up. I need to check something.]_

Shinra nodded, standing up. The Dullahan quickly took his place, fingers flying across the keyboard. She rewound the video for a moment, and then went back a couple frames stopping on one that showed the gun clearly. She zoomed in on it and it focused.

"Isn't that the gun that was missing from the Yakuza that Kanra got back a while ago?" Shinra asked, and Shizuo spoke up.

"That gun looks familiar somehow."

_[That gun is one of the specially modified guns from the Yakuza. It is the one the guys used to shoot you with, Shizuo. That's why it was able to hurt you more that a normal gun would have.]_

"Shit." Shizuo breathed, realizing that if that gun was powerful enough to have affected him, he could only imagine the affects it would have on Kanra.

They watched the rest of the video, seeing Kanra fight against countless guys day after day. Of course they were easily brought down but they all noticed that it was getting easier and easier for the informant to get caught.

"The shirt seems to be acting like some kind of bandage, and at the beginning it stuck to her from the blood, but now that she keeps fighting it just get ripped away and reopened the wound. I'm amazed she lasted this long, although I'm worried what kind of damage the bars did to her diaphragm." Shrina spoke, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

_[Its not just that.] _Celty typed. _[Haven't you two noticed?]_

The two males looked at the Dullahan in confusion, who typed irritatedly.

_[They haven't caused extensive direct harm.]_

Suddenly realization dawned on Shizuo.

"They are trying to weaken her." He said, and Shinra's eyes went wide, finally catching up.

_[They are making her fight to the death. She is slowly killing herself because it is the only thing she can do besides give up. And we all know that she would gladly chose slowly killing herself over giving up.]_

* * *

Heyy Hoo~! Sorry it took so long to update. Author-chama is still ripping hairs trying to figure put how her planned events are going to fit into the story. Hopefully we can get it all figured out. Thanks for sticking with the story~!


	21. Only Human

( -v-)/⌐■-■

Guess who's back~?

~(■v■~)

Back again?

(~■v■)~

_**KANRA'S BACK!**_

HEYY HOO~! THAT'S RIGHT EVERYONE I'M BACK TO KICK SOME ASS!

_I've missed you all so much~! Wow, it's been such a long time~! Sorry for the delay, pneumonia and finals aren't a good combination. But its all good~! Because I'm having one heck of a sweet time PERFECTING THE FINAL CHAPTERS! Author-chama and I are going to make sure that these chapters are worth the wait, because we owe it all to you~! *hugs*_

Hi guys! Hahaha, yeah sorry about the song. Kanra is going to sing it in one of my next fanfictions, but enough about that.

I'm working on the final chapters of Fire of A Soul, and they are going to be coming out soon~! I actually have a couple finished, but the reason I haven't published it isn't because I'm trying to be sure everything is perfect for the ending. Which I know perfection is impossible, but I don't want to have a chapter published and find that I have to change it. *again*

I was worried that since its been such a long time, you would forget a lot of things. I know how a reader is much more attached to a character when they are new to them. My biggest concern is that over this huge gap of time, that novelty has become stale. Which with the final chapters, they would be much more powerful if that novelty was renewed.

So what I would like to ask is that if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you skimmed over a couple chapters? Its okay if you don't want too. The reason I'm asking this isn't just because it would help you become more attached to the character as if they were your own self, but also because I'm tiring in some key things from previous chapters.

Hint: Chapter 1 is important. *coughHowKanraPlaysHerGameWithDeathcough*

I also completely changed chapter 19 (which the old version was put up by mistake)

I can't think of anything specifically, but I'd suggest paying attention to the dialogue and narrations (i.e. how a character feels about something) for a start.

I'm not asking that you go and read the entire story again, you don't have to if you don't want to.

_Ahaha~! Silly Author-chama, just look at her!~ She's so worried about making sure it is a good ending._

Kanra, I just really want to make sure that I give them what they deserve. They deserve a good story.

_True~! Author-chama's goal is to not only put up a worthy ending but to also write one that has a powerful emotional affect. She wants to know if she can have a reader fall in love with her characters and then-_

KANRA SHUT UP! NO SPOILERS!

_Of course, silly me~! Anyways, thanks for those of you that checked back on this story yesterday when Author-chama went through to edit. I'm sure she is just being a typical author, overly fussing over her story like an overprotective mother. AHAHAHA~ its so funny~! I'm going to miss talking to you~!_

_Farewell my friends, and thank you! It's been a good time~_

* * *

Chapter 21 - Only Human

_*Cough cough cough cough*_

Kanra opened her eyes and looked blearily down at the scarlet blood she had just coughed up. She rolled back over on to her back, left hand dangling over the edge of the 'bed.' She closed her eyes.

_Damn. That freaking hurt._

Kanra imagined this would be near equivalent to what it would feel like if Shizu-chan had ever managed to hit her with a vending machine.

Of course, the bars didn't hurt _that_ bad, but in her state of injury it might as well have been.

Kanra was at least glad that the chains had long been taken off around halfway from her first day in this damned cell to the current time. They were more of a way for Taisho to remind her that there was no escaping this place on her own anyway, and she was very much on her own. As if she needed reminding.

She wished that the laceration attacks would just kill her, they were just getting more frequent and more painful. It pissed her the hell off. Kanra rolled her head to the left, bringing her right arm over and gently grabbing the fur trim of her newly returned fuzzy hoodie, pulling it to her face and inhaling the familiar scent.

She was tired. She let go of the fur, her hand dropping to her shoulder and eyes closing. Kanra slowly drifted off into a red, restless and dreamless sleep with the now constant pain ripping through her, conscious or not.

* * *

_[Its not just that.] Celty typed. [Haven't you two noticed?] _

_The two males looked at the Dullahan in confusion, who typed irritatedly._

_[They haven't caused extensive direct harm.] _

_Suddenly realization dawned on Shizuo._

_"They are trying to weaken her." He said, and Shinra's eyes went wide, finally catching up._

_[They are making her fight to the death. She is slowly killing herself because it is the only thing she can do besides give up. And we all know that she would gladly chose slowly killing herself over giving up.]_

"Freaking idiotic parasite. Of course that would be what she would do. Her stubbornness would be the closest thing to weakness she has, but fortunately for her she is too smart for it to get to that point." Shizuo said.

"Except now." Shinra said hotly. "Look, just because she is your enemy, it doesn't make her invincible. She is _human, _Shizuo. She isn't as immortal as she'd like you to believe. You're a fool if you forget that."

_[Shinra, can you play back the tapes? From the first fight. I want to see if I can catch anything that can give us an idea of her location.]_

Shinra did as he was asked, and Shizuo leaned against the wall, watching. He studied the screen closely, keeping an eye out for anything that could give them an idea as to Kanra's location. In one of the shots where Kanra had scrambled up the wall and gripped onto the window bars, he saw a glimpse of familiar streets and buildings.

He was hit with the unbelievable reality, so crazy it was absolutely ridiculous.

Kanra was right here in the city.

The bold location made Shizuo want to laugh and go into an all time rage at the same time. That damn bitch put her in place where it could be so easy for her to be found, but gambled on the fact that Kanra was the furthest thing from loved by the citizens of Ikebukuro, and that she'd wait until the last moment to stoop so low as asking for help, if at all.

Therefore if she cried out for help people would most likely abandon her after discovering who she was. Yet of course, Kanra could easily try to work her charm and manage to slip out. Shizuo was sure that Kanra could have found some way to escape by now, yet he guessed that the only thing standing in her way was her pride. This person, whoever he was, was definitely dangerous. He was willing to take insane risks. Kidnapping Kanra Orihara was more than enough proof of that just in itself.

His feet led him out the door, and down the streets. He was going to go and drag that damn parasite's ass back here himself and beat the shit out of both her and whoever was holding her in the cell.

His lips formed a cruel, sadistic, grin. Whoever had dared capture Kanra was such dead shit it wasn't even funny.

Because he hadn't just toyed with Kanra, no. He had toyed with Shizuo Hewajima.

Kanra was _his_ to kill. It was an unspoken truth it would be one of them who killed the other, no one else. Shizuo was the one that would squish all signs of life out of the parasite. Shizuo was the one who was supposed to break the fiery spirit, and this monster had taken away everything Kanra was, leaving her hardly a shadow of what she was before.

Watching those tapes was like watching someone else fighting. Half of him didn't believe it was really her, and the other half would be totally convinced if it weren't for the many painfully obvious traits that were undeniably Kanra.

Only Kanra Orihara would manage to get someone's pants to ignite in flames by using their cigarette, and do so just out of spite.

* * *

A loud thunderous crash rang in Kanra's ears and she flinched, the damn noise causing more pain from the raging laceration attack. She grit her teeth and opened her eyes just a sliver, glaring venomously at the doorway.

The look on her face would have made a killer animal with rabies shit bricks.

Waves of pain ripped through her trying to pull her back into the sea of red, back into the state of unconscious torture she was in before, but she fought it by calling on pure will power to keep her going. She shut her eyes, deciding it wasn't worth it to grace the little piss with her attention.

She almost pitied whatever sorry shit would come through that doorway. Kanra was pissed beyond belief, sick of this crap, and had a burning desire to cause some serious pain in an attempt to give some sorry ass some level of pain equivalent with this shit.

She heard shouts and sounds of fighting, the irritating noise slipping through the blackness as Kanra stood on the thin ledge between consciousness and utter oblivion.

_**Wham!**_

A huge dent was put in the door and then a second later a second blow was dealt, the thick heavy door flying off its hinges and crashing into the metal bars. It broke through them before crashing into the corner of the stone wall. The impact was so hard Kanra felt it in the wood "bed" attached to the wall, all the way on the other side of the room.

_Screw this shit. Some sorry eff is getting a lesson in hell right. freaking. now._

Kanra tried to open her eyes again but she couldn't. She felt like she was too far underwater to even move a finger. Even though she couldn't move, all her senses were vividly clear. She registered the scent of cigarette smoke as she fought towards consciousness.

"Hey, parasite. Get your lousy damned ass the hell up." A gruff and sour voice said.

_Aw, eff you too universe! What the hell?! You sick lousy piece of shit luck! Dammit! Are you freaking kidding me? THIS protozoan?! You serious?! What gave you that dumbass idea huh? The hell did I do? ..wait...Well-shit! C'mon! I know that is a dumb thing to ask but really? That shit's not bad enough to deserve this!_

Kanra stopped the river of incredibly colorful words running through her mind as she registered a hand on her shoulder, that was surprisingly gentle. Which of course mentally stopped her dead in her tracks, her brain halting all together as she tried to wrap her mind around this unfathomable possibility.

_So...you're...telling me...that...__**Shizu-chan**__...is being __**GENTLE**__...with ME?_

_Shit._

_It's official. I've gone absolutely insane...-er. And unlike how I used to enjoy every moment of insanity, this is a whole new that I, Kanra Orihara, am for once suffering from. Either that or it is a sign of the apocalypse. Or both._

_Either way I'm dead shit._

* * *

Shizuo stepped into the small room, scanning the stone walls and black bars, which now had a large ragged hole on one side from the metal door that was embedded into the opposite wall.

He took a step forward, eyes half-lidded with a bored and unimpressed look on his face as he lit a cigarette and placed the lighter back in his pocket. He stopped as his eyes fell on a girl stretched out on some crappy looking shelf type piece of shit. A girl who looked like Kanra... Who was Kanra.

"Hey, parasite. Get your lousy damned ass the hell up." Shizuo said, as he balled his fist. There was no way that Kanra was still laying there. She had to be planning to attack him by surprise or something, or else she would've been on her feet at the same instant he arrived if not far earlier, smirking that damned smirk of hers.

_Her smirk..._

_...She...wasn't smirking..._

_What the hell is this?! The sight of her just laying there hurt... It's fake right? This was Kanra after all. It had to be some sort of trick, she'd just get up and laugh at him, telling him he had too much empathy for his own good or something, and then everything would be back to normal, with him chasing her around and her firing knives at him and spitting out witty insults to throw fuel on the fire. It was still her laying there, but its just a trick, right?_

Her black combat boots, the midnight black wavy hair, the signature fuzzy jacket, the black skinny jeans and the long sleeved black shirt... Which had dried blood all over it. Her once immaculate skin was now covered with streaks of dirt and blood, with scrapes and bruises all over.

Now that he really looked, it was hard to see the old fiery informant. Shizuo sat on the edge of the shelf, careful not to accidentally break it or the informant on it. He could tell she was alive by the slow breathing, which was a bit strained and seemed kinda unsteady. He subconsciously placed a hand on her shoulder as he looked down at her face.

Countless images of the informant flashed through his mind, little moments frozen forever in time brought back to him, memories that were pushed aside and buried deep by the anger that in this moment, simmered down significantly.

The back of her head as she walked away. The erethral, fluid, movement that Shizuo now realized was in everything Kanra did, walking, fighting, running, everything. The sound of her laughter, her voice calling out the annoying nickname she gave him, taunting him. The flash of her blades matched only by the flash of her eyes, which burned endlessly in image after image after image, but started to slowly come to an end as that fire started to die.

How had the parasite he hated...turn into this? This was not Kanra. He had not once been able to put much more than a scratch on the parasite, and whoever the person in front of him was... she was someone completely different. Someone... _human._

He studied the informants tense face, eyes closed, and eyebrows partially knit together. Her jaw was locked tightly, and through her barely parted lips Shizuo could see her teeth were clenched.

He stood and bent over, terrified that he would accidentally crush the informant as he picked her up, cradling her to his chest.

_Crap_. He thought, trying to ignore the blood that was certainly rubbing off onto his bartender's vest. He sent a quick silent apology to Kasuka, as he turned and slowly started walking to the hole in the bars. _Da__mmit dammit dammit dammit dammit! Freaking parasite. Wake the hell up. I can't fight if you're unconscious in my arms. How the hell do you manage to be annoying even when you're unconscious?_

Surely it was one of the many talents only people like Kanra Orihara could posses.

* * *

Well of course the universe is an absolute bastard. Gentle touch not enough for ya, huh? No, of course not. Watching the great Kanra Orihara's mind being wiped of all thought and left blank and emotionless isn't _nearly_ enough.

Why don't we just send her mind tripping through loops and down the great proverbial celestial toilet too? Might as well have the damn protozoan _pick her the freaking hell up __**AND HAVE IT EFFING FEEL SOMEWHAT COMFORTING JUST OUT OF SPITE YOU EFFING SHIT.**_ Just to be sure her mind is screwed. As well as her sanity.

Kanra would've found the fact that Shizuo was being gentle funny in a twisted sort of way, if she weren't so pissed. The entire phenomenon had actually shocked her so much the pain was forgotten to some degree. When she felt him pick her up and hold her to his chest as if she were the most fragile thing on earth, it shocked her to consciousness.

Her eyebrows fully knit together and she pulled the corner of her lips down in an irritated grimace. Kanra was all too aware of the feeling of security in the small gentle swaying sensation as Shizuo walked.

"Parasite?" Shizuo asked, and Kanra hadn't missed the tone in his voice.

She tried opening her eyes but she shut them immediately at the bright light, turning her head and instinctively burying her face right into the crook of the blonde's arm in an attempt to block out the light.

She caught the sound of amusement from the x-bartender and inwardly beat her head against a wall. The damn bastard was enjoying this.

"Hey, if you saw your own face you'd try to hide too." Kanra mumbled half-heartedly, too tired to do much else other than snuggle closer to him. Hopefully she could at least irritate him, but who the hell knows with him?

How in the hell this protozoan was actually _comfortable_ was beyond her. Yet, she had in fact been sleeping on a crap piece of wood for a bed. And she was one that used to enjoy affectionate physical contact such as hugs when she was little and expressed her love of humanity through things like hugs and kind words. But even so, this whole situation gave her conflicting feelings. Of course the protozoan would be a jerk and do that. He always had a talent for being unpredictable.

"Tch, you're pathetic, you know that parasite?" Shizuo growled back, though Kanra's lips twitched into a tiny smile as she heard how he was making an effort to control his temper. This should be fun.

"And yet here you are, rescuing me~ I knew Shizu-chan would miss me~" Kanra said, smirking as she felt him tense up, yet incredibly he was still gentle with her.

Kanra felt better now that Shizuo was here, though some part of her knew better. There was a little bit of her that told her that this was just a lie, some happy momentary escape from reality before the fallout.

Even though every bit of her being warned her against it, Kanra decided to be stubborn and ignore it, choosing instead to cling on to the blonde holding her. She was too weak inside to listen to the tiny bit of the old Kanra that was screaming at her to steel up and get back to reality, she didn't need this protozoan, so get on your feet now.

She was at war with herself, knowing that wanting to feel the comfort (that she was 50% sure she was imagining) was just out of cowardice, as she tried to prolong the inevitable. She hated how she was acting as one of her humans, choosing to imagine what was not, should not, and never will be there, all because they wanted comfort and would go through any means to get it even if it wasn't real.

Yet the damn small part of her that had appeared during her time here was still persistent. Since she could never love any one human more or less than the rest, the weak part of her used that as an excuse to latch on to this new human side of Shizuo.

Kanra grit her teeth harder, sick of two sides of herself warring with her, making her feel weak at heart one moment and strong the next. Yet there was a third part of her that had developed over time, and rose to the surface in the past few days. A more dark and sinister side, that took a bloody hold on her, waiting in the dark corners of her soul to emerge.

Kanra focused on the steady sound of breathing as Shizuo held her. She once again was mind blown at how the arms that could lift and toss a truck, now held her to him in a comforting gentle embrace as if he actually cared about her and didnt hate her like he always said. A small bit of sadness crept up, not knowing which she'd prefer when it all came to an end. But she pushed that thought to the side, locking it away.

This was a whole new side to the blonde that Kanra had never seen, and it intrigued her. Many questions ran through her mind, as she tried to figure out his possible motives behind this, but came up with nothing as usual.

Could it be that Shizu-chan had a human side to him after all?

* * *

Shizuo stepped through the gaping hole in the bars again, careful to avoid the sharp jagged points of the remaining bits of bar at the base. He glanced down at the informant in his arms and for a moment he was terrified that he had screwed up yet again and ended up hurting her, as he saw the pained expression on her face.

"Parasite?" He asked, trying to keep the note of worry out of his voice. For the first time in his life, he actually half hoped she would start talking. Just give him at least some sign that the Kanra he hated was still alive somewhere inside.

Shizuo stopped in the center of the room, standing under the light to make sure he hadn't accidentally crushed her. He wasn't aware that he had been subconsciously hugging the parasite to him, as if by trying to protect her now would make everything better.

Kanra's eyes slowly opened a sliver before she quickly shut them and promptly burried her face into his arm. He smirked, giving a slight _tch _of laughter knowing that Kanra had just registered being hugged to her enemy's chest in a state of vulnerability, and was now undoubtedly regretting trying to hide from the light by snuggling against him. He smiled, amused, but nonetheless walked to the far side of the room and away from the light.

"Hey, if you saw your own face you'd try to hide too." Kanra said, but it was clear she wasn't going to fight the matter and instead chose to go along with it, adjusting herself to become more comfortable.

"Tch, you're pathetic, you know that parasite?" Shizuo growled as he just noticed how Kanra decided to let him carry her, not remembering when he had become a taxi. He stepped into the hallway and saw her give a slight smile, and he relaxed a little, glad to see she was okay and just appeared to be only needing rest.

"And yet here you are, rescuing me~ I knew Shizu-chan would miss me~" Kanra said, smiling more softly and keeping her eyes shut.

Something pulled at Shizuo's gut, and he almost stopped walking. He stared down at the informant, bewildered.

It almost seemed as if she was glad that he was here.

* * *

Whew. Crap, its posted. *hides face* I just told myself I needed to get it out, but it was more like 'ok, Author-chama, let it go. Post the chapter. Don't make me get a crow bar to pry your fingers off it. post it dammit!' I hope I did ok on this. Again, I highly suggest trying to refresh your memory for the following chapters but its ok if you don't. Just knowing you read the final chapters of my story is more than enough~!

Ok XD I think I've calmed down now. Time for a response to reviews~! (But to those who checked up on my update, Im working on editing chapter 22 now, don't worry~!)

* * *

R 6/23/13 . chapter 1

Kinda scares me that this is rated M _  
But than again. Idc what its rated :'D  
Giving the first chap a re-read since I forgot what ur ff was even about. aside from the fact that it includes kanra. xD  
so I might have already wrote a review. BUT! Im Anon. so it doesn't even matter :D

Breaks my heart every time when comments like those are thrown at Shizuo xD

* * *

Lol how does it scare you~?

:'D lol I just wanted to make sure that I didn't get reported or whatever for violence and language.

XD Thanks~! And don't worry, its kinda my fault for taking so long... lol

lol thanks just the same~!

Awww~! XD if that is the case, then it may be interesting to see your reaction to the final chapters~ although the only problem with that is your anon.

I wish I could visibly see your reactions-... great now I feel like a creeper. Oh wait XD never mind. Not a creeper. just Kanra XD

* * *

TheGirlWhoChangesHerNameAlot 6/29/13 . chapter 2

HA. READ CH 2. Reached my goal for the week.

Kanra is a more of a pyro than izaya neh?  
Spotted a few spelling mistakes here and there but not largely so.  
Not sure what kind of feed back you want.

Does kanra still have the twins for sisters?

-R

I was signed in this time hehe

* * *

xD I see~!

Damn right she is~ hahaha!

Ill have to fix that. Spellcheck sometimes changes things that aren't supposed to be changed or whatever, so yeah~ :P thanks for letting me know~!

Lol any feedback is great!

I don't know. I never mention them in the story, so I think that will be a no.

XD thanks~!

* * *

Well, unfortunately I have failed my week goal. ;n; so sorry~! but, I finally figured out how I'm going to do the plot for Chapter 22, so it should be a breeze just writing it down~! So much better now, I do not regret re-writing it. I should be getting it up today, but hey the universe just sometimes isn't nice. Don't worry, it is coming out soon. (Lol I feel like you are all just glaring at your screen and you're like: LIES. *glare*)

thanks so much~!


	22. The Predator's Death Match

Warning - this gets violent towards the end.

* * *

Chapter 22 - The Predator's Death Match

Shizuo Heiwajima paused a moment outside the door, turning and looking back into the room; taking in the sight of the destroyed bars, the crumpled metal door embedded into the wall, and the shelf. The room where his greatest enemy had been held in captive for 14 days. He looked back down at Kanra, who almost seemed to be sleeping in his arms.

_So this is the real Kanra Orihara. Take away her enormous ego and remove all of her masks, and this is who you find. A young 23 year old girl that is buried beneath lies, blood, violence, pride, and death. All the evil and cruel things that no person should ever have to experience, much less a kid who is barely in their twenties. To think that a mere child has bent the yakuza to her will, conned the minds of the most ruthless gang members, and has the entire city strung up like a collection of puppets, ready to manipulate whenever and however she desires._

Somehow the person in his arms just didn't match up with everything he knew Kanra to be. He no longer saw a black hearted, soulless parasite. He saw a tiny child, surrounded by the darkness of the city. Shizuo knew that from now on, he would never be able to completely forget the way he saw Kanra now.

_This is such a load of crap._ Shizuo thought, as he started walking down the slow incline of the long, empty hallway. The lamps that hung periodically from the ceiling burned with a dull, mute light, making the already lifeless pale walls seem even more drained of color. The door behind them was the only one in this lonely hallway. Kanra had been completely isolated, left with a tiny barred window to catch a glimpse of everyday life in the city. To be tormented by the sounds of the constant bustling commotion in Ikebukuro, which acted as a reminder of freedom being so close, and yet impossible to obtain.

The incline of the floor evened out at street level when they finally got to the end of the hallway. Shizuo came to a stop, looking around. There was a pair of doors leading to a stairway on their left, but what caught Shizuo's attention was a huge pair of double doors that took up the entire wall space in front of them. There was a thick horizontal band of diagonal black and yellow stripes across the center of both doors.

"Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo looked down, realizing that he had been standing there for a minute, thinking. "Yeah, what's up?" He replied, frowning a little.

"Let's try to avoid running into anyone, ok?" Kanra said softly. "It won't end well if we do."

* * *

Kanra kept her eyes closed, focusing on staying still. It was a miracle she had been able to survive fighting this long with a bullet in her side, though she suspected that was because she got at least minimal medical treatment during the times she was unconscious and dead to the world. That at least had sustained her this far, but she didn't want to test her luck with a gunshot wound. Kanra had a strong feeling this was not going to end well, and she wanted to be sure she had enough energy to pull through.

When she felt Shizuo stop walking, she opened her eyes. He was looking around with that familiar frown on his face that he had whenever he was thinking.

_I guess I'd frown too if I had to work that hard to form a thought. Shizu-chan is one of those people that find themselves lost in thought because its unfamiliar territory. _

Kanra thought, and she gave a brief smirk. Though a moment later she felt really uneasy. Something was going to happen soon, and she didn't want to be around when it did.

"Shizu-chan?" She asked, getting somewhat impatient. The sooner they got the hell out of here the better.

Shizuo blinked, and looked down at her. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Let's try to avoid running into anyone, ok?" Kanra said quietly, looking away. "It won't end well if we do."

"Sure." Shizuo said, giving a slight nod. Kanra scanned the room, stepping down from Shizuo's arms. On her left was a pair of doors leading to the emergency exit, the faded black paint illustrating a fire, and an arrow leading a person on a stairway away from the flames. Kanra considered taking that stairway, but she knew they'd have to pass people in the lobby on their way out. She knew full well Taisho had tight surveillance on the building. She looked straight in front of her, staring at the enormous doors with a caution band running horizontally across the center.

_Now why would there need to be a caution on this side of the door? _She wondered, taking a step forward. Kanra sensed Shizuo move closer to her before she even got so much as her first foot completely off the ground. Shizuo stood over her with a concerned air about him. The way he was acting was almost insulting. Kanra waved her hand over her shoulder, irritated. She sighed. "Shizu-chan would you please stop hovering over me? I'm fine." Kanra said, turning on her heel and looking him in the eyes. "Seriously, you're even more worse than Shinra."

"Tch. Fine, parasite. Go ahead and fall, see if I care. Should be interesting to see the great parkour master Kanra Orihara herself trip and do a face plant." Shizuo said, pulling out a cigarette and leaning against the wall, lighting it.

The tone of his voice was so amusing, Kanra couldn't help but laugh. She turned back around to the door, holding out a hand. Just as her fingertips brushed the cool metal, a loud clamor erupted in the stairwell. Kanra's back instantly stiffened as her entire body tensed up.

"What the hell?" Kanra heard Shizuo say, the confusion clear in his tone.

Kanra's lips curled up into a sharp predatory grin as she felt her nerves steel over.

"Shit." Kanra said, laughing darkly as she turned around.

"They're coming."

* * *

Shizuo carefully helped Kanra step down, staying close in case she fell. She leaned forward and he moved closer, expecting her to collapse. Instead Kanra just flicked her hand over her shoulder to wave him away, sighing in annoyance.

"Shizu-chan would you please stop hovering over me? I'm fine." Kanra said, turning around to look at him. "Seriously, you're even more worse than Shinra."

"Tch. Fine, parasite. Go ahead and fall, see if I care. Should be interesting to see the great parkour master Kanra Orihara herself trip and do a face plant." He said, deciding that it was about damn time for a cigarette. He leaned back against the wall, sparking the lighter and holding the end of the cigarette to the flame.

Kanra laughed, turning away from him and walking towards the door. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, still wary about the possibility of her falling to the ground.

Just then there was a loud commotion coming through the closed emergency stair doorway, and he picked out sounds of people shouting and running on the staircase.

"What the hell?" Shizuo said as turned to look at the door, wondering if there was a fire. Kanra was nearly unconscious when he found her and it wasn't like she had done anything on their way here, but Shizuo learned to never underestimate Kanra Orihara when it came to fire, even if it seemed impossible.

"Shit." Kanra said, and the tone in her voice made him turn around and look at her.

"They're coming." She said with a wicked grin that set every nerve in his body on edge.

The look on Kanra's face threw him completely off. The little girl side of her had vanished, and there was a feral glint in her eyes that made Shizuo feel extremely uneasy. This wasn't the usual predatory Kanra, this was something far more sinister.

Shizuo just stood there, not sure what to do, or how to react. Kanra's eyes narrowed.

"Dammit, you effing dumbass! Are you deaf?_ I just said that Taisho and his men are on their way here. _Don't look at me like I just spoke in Latin. Now are you gonna get off your lazy ass or what?" Kanra said with a snarl. "Look, if you want to fight these f-tards that badly, then fine; but I sure as hell won't be doing it in some shit small hallway. So get the hell over here and help me open this damn door."

Shizuo stepped away from the wall, fists tightly clenched.

"Pardon my lazy ass for coming all the way over here to save you, you effing parasite. I'm not waiting around to fight anyone." Shizuo started, but before he could say anything more Kanra cut him off.

"Look, I don't care what the hell you do, or why you're here. It's beyond me, really, but I don't give a shit at the moment. So stay with me if you will, but whatever you do, Taisho's mine." Kanra hissed in a lethal tone. "Because like it or not, Shizu-chan, a fight is what you're gonna get."

"Dammit Kanra, you know I-" Shizuo said, but his words were cut short again as a gun fired somewhere from the stairs.

"Shizuo, get the freakin doors open right now." Kanra said, and Shizuo growled in irritation. He pressed against the door. After a few seconds there was a loud crack, and the lock broke, the door ajar.

Kanra pushed it open with her foot, and Shizuo stepped into the room. He blinked, looking around, seeing a whole bunch of white sheets which were probably covering crates and such. What threw him off was how clean the place was, the tidiness of it seeming familiar somehow.

"Move." His thoughts were interrupted with a sudden sharp jab in his back, making him take a couple steps forward automatically. He hear a little sound of smug amusement from Kanra, and he glared down at the pest. He opened his mouth to say something, but he silenced him with her finger, hovering a couple inches from his lips. She didnt even look at him as she spoke.

"Down dumb dog." She said, staring out in front of her and ignoring him, as if she thought she could call him that without getting beat to death. She turned away, headed back to the doors as Shizuo stared after her, dumbstruck.

Something felt incredibly wrong.

Kanra laughed, the sound making Shizuo cringe.

"Shizu-chan~" Kanra spoke sharply, closing the door and turning around. She grinned up at him. "You might want to move, unless of course you want to be standing there when they come through there doors." Kanra said, holding a hand out behind her.

"Oh, and just a heads up, friend~" Kanra said sourly. "Get in my way and I'll kill you." Her tone made it clear this was nothing like the death threats before, this was 100% serious. Otherwise he would have laughed and asked how she thought she could possibly kill him, instead of stepping back off to he side.

_What happened to her? He wondered as he watched her get into a stance that reminded him of an animal bracing itself to pounce. _

She had flung out her right arm, holding some object in her hand. Before he could register what it was, she snapped her wrist around. Shizuo caught a glimpse of a small streak of silver arcing through the air around her hand before she sprinted forward.

* * *

Shizuo stared at her wordlessly for a moment, a blank expression on his face. Kanra's anger flared and she narrowed her eyes at him, glaring furiously.

"Dammit, you effing dumbass! Are you deaf? _I just said that Taisho and his men are on their way here. _Don't look at me like I just spoke in Latin. Now are you gonna get off your lazy ass or what?" She said, lips forming a violent snarl. "Look, if you want to fight these f-tards that badly, then fine; but I sure as hell won't be doing it in some shit small hallway. So get the hell over here and help me open this damn door."

Shizuo stood up, taking a step away from the wall. His hands were balled in a white-knuckled grip.

"Pardon my lazy ass for coming all the way over here to save you, you effing parasite. I'm not waiting around to fight anyone." Shizuo said, his mindless babble cutting down her patience level to zero.

"Look, I don't care what the hell you do, or why you're here. It's beyond me, really, but I don't give a shit at the moment. So stay with me if you will, but whatever you do, Taisho's mine." Kanra hissed. "Because like it or not, Shizu-chan, a fight is what you're gonna get."

"Dammit Kanra, you know I-" Shizuo started, but he was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot going off in the stairwell. It sounded close, but she guessed they still had time.

"Shizuo, get the freakin doors open right now." Kanra said, grinning as she looked over her shoulder.

Shizuo gave that ridiculous growl of his, as he leaned against the doors. Kanra looked around for a few seconds, bored. Then there was a sound of the thick metal groaning in protest, and a moment later a loud crack as the lock snapped. Kanra nudged the door open with the toe of her boot, stepping in behind Shizuo.

The dumb protozoan just stood there for a few moments, and Kanra grew impatient with staring at the back of his vest.

"Move." She said, quickly jabbing him in the back. He stepped forward enough to let her through, and she walked around him. Shizuo glared down at her, opening his mouth to speak but she held up a finger, looking forward.

"Down dumb dog." Kanra said, not even interested in him.

They were in a warehouse. It was all white, from the walls to the solid white floors. The placed looked even more dull and lifeless than the hallway.

There were several indiscernible shapes under white sheets, and the space in front of them was the only cleared out area. There was a decent amount of room, but behind that there was a whole bunch of stuff.

_That may be our exit._

She thought, turning around and going to shut the door. Just as her fingers gripped the side of the broken door, she heard loud shouts from about the second or third floor.

She laughed, excitement growing deep inside her.

"Shizu-chan~" Kanra said, shutting the door as best as she could. She turned around, grinning up at Shizuo. "You might want to move, unless of course you want to be standing there when they come through there doors." Kanra said, stepping to the side and gesturing.

"Oh, and just a heads up, friend~" She said, sneering the word. "Get in my way and I'll kill you."

She smirked as he walked away, putting a fair distance between himself and her.

Her flingers flexed, itching to start a bloody and violent fight. She couldn't wait to cut every damned soul to confront her into ribbons. She'd been waiting to let the demon inside her loose, waiting for the opportune moment that was approaching.

Kanra narrowed her eyes, grinning with absolute joy. The predator inside her was nearly _purring_ as the adrenaline coursed through her, lighting every sense on fire; making Kanra become hyper aware of her surroundings. In the next moment her fingers found her switchblade. She had kept it hidden, saving it for when she got a chance to slit Taisho's throat and watch the blood flow from him, his very life draining out onto the floor and beneath her boots.

The image burned in her mind, as she flung out her arm. Kanra whipped her wrist around, the knife snapping out; the blade flashing as she pounced forward like a cat, sinking the blade into the nearest person as the doors were flung open.

Time slowed and she felt a thrill run up her spine as the warm liquid splashed on her hand. She ripped the knife out, and the person slumped on her shoulder. Disgusted with having to come into contact with a mere human, she shoved the lifeless body onto the floor.

She caught movement in the corner of her eye, rolling back on the balls of her feet a tiny bit as a crowbar swung down in front of her face. She grabbed their wrist with her left arm, twisting it and bending it down, twisting again and putting him into an armlock while she simultaneously broke his wrist. She swiped her knife across his ribcage, dropping his arm before jumping back.

Everything became a blur of flying weapons, slashing knifes, dropping bodies, and a sea of red. She laughed, a wild thrill running through her as she fought. She slashed person after person; blood flying everywhere and splattering on the floors, walls, and ceiling.

The once dull room came to life, painted with the color of death.

* * *

Kanra moved so fast Shizuo almost jumped when she slammed into some guy. It wasn't until the person slumped down onto her shoulder did he realize that she had somehow held onto her switchblade. Which of course wasn't a surprise to him, she always had some trick up her sleeve.

He watched, numb, as she yanked the bloodied shining blade out of the person, shoving him roughly on the floor. Things happened so fast he was surprised he could take it all in. Just as she pushed the person down, another swung a crowbar towards her head, but she leaned back. Her hand shot up and in a blink of an eye the guy was put into an wristlock which was immediately followed by an armlock, some bone breaking with a loud snap. There was a flash, then he crumpled to the floor, red blossoming on his shirt as Kanra leapt back. It was like watching a blood stained angel of death.

Shizuo's attention was forced away as he had to deal with his own attackers, mainly blocking attacks and knocking them out with a punch or a kick, while Kanra laughed manically, shouting out taunts and triumphant remarks.

* * *

Blood splattered on the immaculate polished white floors, creating a stunning contrast, as sharp as the knife that split the crimson liquid.

Another slice, another gash carved in flesh, another puddle on the ground, another scarlet stain blossoming on the white sheets.

"Whoa~!" Kanra said, tilting her head to the side as some guy tried to punch her with spiked steel knuckles. She spun to the side, following him as he flew past her, using the extra momentum in his lunge to dislocate his arm and use a well aimed kick to help her flip him over as she dragged him down. He landed on his back, screaming in pain.

She scowled down at him, disgusted with his repulsiveness. She kicked him hard in the head, knocking him out.

"Kanra." A familiar voice behind her spoke, and she whirled around.

"Taisho." Kanra said icily, as she saw the gun in his hands.

There was a loud crack as the gun fired.

* * *

Shizuo's head snapped up at the sound of a gunshot, just in time to see Kanra flying back through the air, landing a couple feet back. She didnt seem to be injured at all. He looked to find the source of the gunshot, and his eyes fell on a man with a gun in his hand, stroking the trigger lightly with his pointer finger. He glanced at Kanra and his blood ran cold as he saw the look on her face.

The look Kanra gave the man could have frozen hell over.

Kanra tensed even more, and automatically got into a fighting stance. Ordinarily Shizuo would have thought nothing of it, but as he took in the sight of her, it shocked him at just how the past few days had affected Kanra. When she moved into that stance, something had changed about it, a negative change. He couldn't figure out what it was, but it pissed him off.

* * *

Kanra had jumped back, the bullet narrowly missing her knee. Her temper rose as she realized that he had missed in purpose, knowing she'd jump back out of the way. He was freaking toying with her, the piece of shit.

"Come to get your ass handed to you, Taisho?" Kanra spoke, the words like acid in her mouth.

The smile on Taisho's face made Kanra want to vomit. Her upper lip curled into a vicious snarl, eyes burning into him. One way or another he will die. Only one of them was getting out of this alive, she would make sure of it.

Her fingers curled around the switchblade, her original blade, not a copy. Running her thumb along the edge of the wood she took a step forward.

Taisho smiled wider and followed her movement, simultaneously stepping back as she advanced. She took two more steps, him stepping back with her.

"Very well~ You want a chase? Better start running like hell~!" She purred, lightning flashing in her eyes as she narrowed them. She sprinted forward across the room, attempting to close the distance between them. Just then two people she hadn't noticed stepped forward, and she ran right into their arms.

"GET BACK HERE YOU EFFING BASTARD! DONT YOU DARE RUN AWAY YOU FREAKING COWARD!" Kanra shouted, and she viciously slashed away blindly, kicking out until the two dropped her.

Taisho paused at the doorway, clear across the room. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. Kanra knew he was baiting her, and she chose to play along. She was going to see this through to the end.

She sprinted towards the stairway, but was tackled by one of the two guys from before. She got up, trying to kick off the guys vice like grip on her ankle, putting her off balance. Her arms were pinned behind her, but just as she was about to slip out of it, something stopped her. She pretended to give up fighting, as she glared down at the guy holding her foot.

"Yarou-san~!" Kanra cried out in a mock-gleeful voice. She knew she remembered him form somewhere! He was the guy that has stabbed her twice in the alley where Shizuo first asked about the Shadow.

"Ptch." He said, spitting out blood. He was covered in cuts, which made Kanra smile. "Bitch." He said sourly.

Kanra put on a pouty frown. "Aww, no need to be like that yarou-san."

He got to his feet shakily, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the knife.

"Ah, so you got the knife, huh~?" She said, her tone growing colder as she glared at him.

"Yeah. And now I'm going to kill you with it." He said, and she laughed.

"Try, I dare you." She said, and he stepped forward. She kicked her feet up, knocking the knife away and stepping on his shoulder, grabbing the hem of her captors shirt as she flipped over him, pulling it down behind his head so his face was covered. She kicked the guy to the floor while he was blinded. Yarou-san ran forward, and she snapped out her switchblade. She slipped to the side as he got close enough, plunging the knife in his neck, sinking it all the way to the hilt.

"I told you that you were dead shit. And guess what? I wasn't unarmed this time~" she said, laughing quietly. Kanra yanked her knife out, looking up to see that the other guy had gone.

She bent down and took the time to slowly clean off her knife on the dying man's jacket, as blood pooled out on the throat. She stood, and went after Taisho.

She thought she saw him waiting for her through the small gap in the door, which had been left ajar by Taisho, and she sprinted towards him. Just as she slipped through the doors she caught sight of the hem of Taisho's jacket disappearing around the corner of the open double doors to the emergency starway. Seconds later she sprinted through the open doors, then found her self sent flying forward into the railing and stone wall of the stairwell, colliding with it hard.

* * *

"Come to get your ass handed to you, Taisho?" Kanra said, with a sharp acidic sting to the words. Her lips formed a deadly snarl, and her eyes burned, promising death.

Shizuo stood, watching, face expressionless. Kanra took a step, paused, then took two more before sprinting across the room at the smiling man, yelling. At that moment, the rest of the people in the room started fighting him again, and Shizuo caught glimpses of Kanra fighting two other guys, though she seemed fine. Shizuo was forced again to turn his attention to the gang members moving in to attack him.

_Dammit if their eyes start glowing and they all start pulling out blades, I am not going to be happy. _

* * *

Kanra coughed, blood splattering on the ground as she tried to grip the bars to steady herself. She suddenly felt like lead, and the impact of the wall to her head had triggered the worst laceration attack ever. She vomited from the pain, but all that came out was more blood.

He must have hit me from behind with something. Kanra thought, as the fight was sucked out of her by the laceration attack.

"So pathetic. Look at yourself Kanra, you're practically on your hands and knees." Taisho said, shoving her against the railing with one foot as Kanra's vision swayed nauseatingly from black to blurred images of the puddle of red, which was a sharp contrast to the cool gray floor of the stairwell.

"Wait until next time. I'll do things that'll make you lose control within seconds." Kanra managed to say, but immediately after she went into a coughing fit.

Taisho bent over, looking Kanra in the eyes and smiling that effing false smile of his as he picked up her switchblade from where it had dropped.

He has my switchblade. _My__ switchblade! _

She thought, infuriated that this mere _human_ had even _dared_ lay a finger on her signature weapon. Taisho turned and grabbed the collar of her jacket, hoisting her up to his height and pinning her to the wall.

He grinned as he sank the blade deep into Kanra's stomach, letting go of her jacket and letting her drop, hitting the floor hard.

_He just... My own switchblade... And he... _Kanra thought, as she felt her body grow heavier.

"That's just the thing Kanra..."

Taisho said, wiping off her switchblade on her jacket.

"...There won't be a next time."

* * *

EashaChan 7/1/13 . chapter 22

Glad to see this updated. And good chapter too, it left me quite anxious. :)

Hope to see the end.

* * *

Thanks~! I'm glad to see you liked it, I was worried I flubbed this chapter. :3

I'm writing it now~!


	23. Dancing with Death

Chapter 23 - Dancing with Death

Kanra was fighting on the edge of consciousness as Taisho practically dragged her up the seemingly unending flights of stairs. She was in too much pain to do much else but mentally damn a whole number of things as she thought about how if she were her old self, she would have pranced up and down the entire building by now. Twice. Three times if fire was involved. Her head hung low, shoulders hunched forward, wrists tied behind her back.

Rope? Bitch please, hell no.

That effing shit eating bastard had used _string. _

Kanra focused on walking, simultaneously saving her energy and planning for the right time to strike, while trying to bite down the pain from the laceration attack.

At the moment Kanra stepped on the platform, about to turn to scale the final steps before the door to the rooftop, Taisho struck another sharp blow the the back of her head. She stumbled forward, managing to catch herself from hitting the wall by twisting and letting the blow fall to her shoulder; the corner of a windowsill cutting the outside of her upper arm.

Hey, it wasn't ideal, but what the hell.

He grabbed her roughly by the collar again, and Kanra bit her lip in fury. She kept her head down, midnight black hair draping over her face like a veil. Kanra turned her head away. She knew what he wanted to see. The emptiness in her eyes that wasn't there...

...She hoped.

"Oh come now, Kanra." He said, and Kanra felt the urge to vomit blood all over him. Again. "Let me see your eyes."

Kanra stayed still, but the corner of her lip twitched, managing to curl into a smaller version of her signature smirk. She gave a tiny sound of amusement. This seemed to piss Taisho off, because it the next instant, she was being lifted up against the wall with his hand around her neck.

Kanra genuinely grinned, shutting her eyes and tilting her head towards the ceiling.

"My my, Taisho~. So suddenly violent, aren't we~? Careful, anger blinds you, and leads you stumbling into mistakes and traps. Wouldn't want to screw up again, would we now~?" Kanra chuckled.

It was getting hard to breathe, but her voice was soft and silky as ever. She didn't think about the fact that Taisho was able to hold her up with one hand.

Taisho grinned and tightened his grip. He pulled Kanra away from the wall, and then slammed the back of her head hard against the window.

The glass shattered, little bits falling to the ground, catching the light and reflecting it back like tons of tiny diamonds; the crimson red droplets on the glass shards making it look only more pretty. A beautiful tinkling sound filled the air as the glass shattered, before it was drowned out with a equally pretty yet far more overpowering, indescribable scream of agony.

* * *

Shizuo froze, and icy chills ran down his spine as a feminine scream echoed through the air.

_That couldn't have been... There was no way, she couldn't..._

_"Just because she is your enemy, it doesn't make her invincible. She is human, Shizuo. She isn't as immortal as she'd like you to believe. You're a fool if you forget that."_

_...no..._ Shizuo thought in stubborn disbelief. Wasn't this the same Kanra that had just single handedly defeated half of the entire gang, laughing as if it was all just child's play? There was a dead silence that filled the air, making Shizuo extremely uneasy.

..._SHIT!_

He started to run towards the door, but he was cut off by the remaining members of the gang.

"Just where do you think you're going?" One of the guys said grinning. "You're not going to be able to get to your girlfriend dude, she's too close to death for you to save her. It'll all be over soon, and you will be too late." He said, laughing.

Shizuo grit his teeth. "What did you say?"

The guy slapped his knee and laughed again. "I said she's gonna die, and there's nothing you can do to save your little girlfr-"

"ANYBODY THAT IS STUPID ENOUGH TO EVEN _THINK_ THAT I'D DATE THAT PARASITE SHOULD GET SOME SENSE KNOCKED INTO THEM!" Shizuo roared, picking the guy up and launching him through the air, where he landed headfirst into a waste bin.

The rest of them rushed him all at once, trying to pin his arms down.

_dammit. I don't have time to be wasting with these ass holes!_

* * *

Taisho opened the door, roughly throwing Kanra onto the hard pavement of the roof. She tried to keep from crying out as an intense sharp pain blazed from the impact. She grit her teeth, closing her eyes and trying like hell to keep back tears. Kanra didn't want to cry. She didn't want to let Taisho win. Even if it meant dying herself, Kanra would drag Taisho down to hell.

"Are you ready to go?" Taisho said, and someone stepped forward.

"Yeah, I have the gun right here and loaded." Someone said, the voice incredibly familiar.

"Good. Just remember to shoot him when I give you the signal. For now stay hidden." Said Taisho.

"Right." The person said, and she heard him walk off somewhere.

"Come on Kanra, I'm about to show you something that you might find as a familiar situation. I think you'll enjoy this, because not only will you be seeing it in a whole new perspective..." Taisho said, kneeling down next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, before roughly dragging her up. "...you'll be experiencing it first hand."

Kanra had a bad feeling she knew exactly what he was saying, and the direction they started walking only confirmed it to be true.

Kanra tried to make her final steps as steady as possible, while Taisho lead her to the edge of the roof.

* * *

_Dammit dammit dammit dammit!_ Shizuo thought, throwing the last person to the floor. How long had it been? It couldn't have been that long could it?

He sprinted through the door, running around the corner and through the open doors to the emergency stairway. Shizuo took two steps before he slid forward, almost slipping but managing to keep his balance as he skidded on the slick surface and colliding with the wall. He looked down, wondering what the effing hell had made him almost slip.

He had to do a double take, realizing he had slipped in _someone's_ blood, but he had no idea who.

_Could it be Kanra's?_ He wondered as he flew up the stairs, head down so as to make sure he didn't slip on the thin trail of blood on the staircase. The silence after her scream was bugging him. He had never seen nor heard any sign of pain from her, ever, and that was something he wished he never heard. It honestly terrified him, he never heard something that expressed pain so clearly, or had the power to plunge someone's heart in such dread as her scream had done.

_Shit shit shit shit shit! _

The stairway seemed to go on forever, and each step seemed to be like a mile.

The blood trail grew thicker, the droplets getting larger as he climbed up higher. He didn't know why it bothered him so much, hell knows the parasite deserved it. Shizuo guessed it was just because no one ever deserved to make such a sound, even Kanra.

Yet he knew the real reason he was so worried. He had already come here, and somehow getting Kanra out of the cage of a room made him feel responsible for making her scream, as if it wouldn't have happened if she had stayed where she was. Which of course was absolutely ridiculous, but he just didn't give a damn, as he felt the adrenaline course though his veins.

When he finally reached the top platform, he froze, taking in the shattered window, blood smears on the wall, and the bloodstained bits of glass. There were three steps up to a doorway.

He clenched his fists, having put on the gloves Celty gave him, and grinned wickedly.

Shit was about to go down.

He took a deep breath, and kicked the door open.

* * *

Shizuo took one step onto the rooftop and was frozen in place the instant he took in the scene before his eyes. A sharp icy dread nearly flattened him as he became overwhelmed with fear when he saw Kanra standing on the ledge of the roof, feet planted firmly shoulder width apart, hands bound behind her back, and head bowed; her silky midnight black hair veiling her face in shadows.

Shizuo quenched the anxiety flooding his veins, convincing himself that somehow this was okay, and Kanra was in control.

"Well hello, Shizuo Hewajima. It's a pleasure to see you. My name is Taisho." Said a man standing next to Kanra.

"Bullshit." Shizuo said, relaxing into his characteristic slouch and putting both hands in his pockets. "I dont have the time to be wasting my life with this shit, so cut the crap. What the hell do you want?"

"You son of a bitch." Kanra lifted her head up slightly, and she looked up at Shizuo through narrowed eyes, making Shizuo's heart stop as her ever blazing brown eyes lit up once more, burning with an intense flame.

* * *

_-They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.-_

* * *

Kanra's lip curled sharply in a sinister smirk, and she laughed darkly.

"What?" Shizuo asked, feeling anger spark inside him. The glare she gave him was just freaking unnerving. It was like he could feel her damning his soul to an eternal fiery torture with just her eyes.

"Oh~ Shizu-chan has come to rescue me once again~! Thanks so much~!" Kanra said, somehow managing to make a happy statement like that sound like 'My tone and words are happy and I'm smiling but in my mind I've already repeatedly violently murdered you, your soul, and everything you love and set it all on fire.'

"What the hell parasite?!" Shizuo growled, pulling his hands out of his pockets and balling them into fists. Something felt very, _very_, wrong. He had to get out of here. Whatever it was, it was driving him crazy. He turned, but before he was able to take a step Taisho spoke again.

"Oh Shizuo wait, Kanra is just acting like this because she is scared. She nearly died several times to try and protect you, so I wouldn't go trying to walk away now."

Shizuo stiffened.

Kanra... Did what?

"Go to hell you effing son of a-" Kanra's sharp words were cut off with a hiss. Shizuo turned to see Taisho smiling as he held the tip of Kanra's switchblade pressed right under the corner of her jaw. A spark of fury lit inside him as he realized that the bastard was deliberately holding Kanra by the point of her own weapon, which he knew full well was practically an extention of herself.

And now it was being used to hold her to her death.

He could only imagine how that must feel. Shizuo stared at a jagged cut that was turning into a scar, which ran up Kanra's neck and curved under her jaw. He could easily see it now that Kanra had her head titled up and away from him. Shizuo knew that was from Taisho, that he had given that scar to Kanra as a way to physically prove he could damage the indestructible Kanra Orihara.

"Heh. I'm looking forward to kick your ass you-" _click. _Shizuo saw Kanra's eyes narrow, locking on his and wordlessly sending a clear message.

DON'T. FREAKING. MOVE.

Shizuo looked to his left, and found himself staring down a gun. There was a long second of dead silence, before Shizuo broke out laughing.

"You think that could hurt me? You've got to be kidding."

"You don't recognize the gun?" Taisho asked.

"Why the hell would I?" Shizuo said, frowning.

"Because, Shizu-chan," Kanra said, sneering his name. "That is the very gun used by Horada and the blue squares members in Kida's gang. Remember? You were shot twice and then kindly repaid them by turning their car into a convertible with a sign."

"So? What's your point parasite?" Shizuo growled. This was getting ridiculous.

"Ugh, you slow witted-"

"What Kanra is trying to explain," Taisho said, cutting off Kanra's words by twisting her arm. "is that one shot to the _head_ and you're done for. But Kanra~ there is no point in trying to stall for time~ you should have just said what you meant instead." Kanra shut her eyes for a moment, and Shizuo knew she was just trying to hide the pain.

Everything is okay somehow...

"What's your deal? Why go through all this trouble? And what the hell do I have to do with it?" Shizuo asked, feeling veins stick out.

"Oh we don't really have any problems with you, Shizuo Hewajima. It's because of Kanra that you are here. She was the one that dragged you into this." Taisho said as he pressed the blade harder against Kanra's neck, making her flinch and hiss sharply inward through clenched teeth.

Shizuo knew it. He knew it was a trap, and he fell right into it. This was total crap. The effing parasite had gotten him involved into one of her little games. He knew that this was all just an act, and somehow she had gotten Celty and Shinra involved too. That son of a bitch. He'll kill her worthless lying ass.

"You see, little Kanra here, loves to play her iniquitous games, acting like some sort of god and claiming to love humans when in reality she walks around stepping on everybody, ruining lives and destroying everything in her path for fun." Taisho said, tightening his grip on Kanra's arm and slowly twisting more. A tiny stream of blood rolled down her blade.

...It was okay, Kanra was in control...

"I was one of those people but now," Taisho yanked Kanra's arm back and she tipped backwards, one foot slipping off the ledge as she was held high above the ground by her elbow.

Shizuo's heart nearly stopped as he stood frozen.

Kanra wasn't in control.

"Now, I will extinguish the fire in Kanra Orihara's soul. Permanently. You are a cancer, Kanra. I, am the cure." Taisho said triumphantly.

Shizuo's eyes met Kanra's and they both flashed back to that day in the alley.

_"You haven't done anything for me! You only get me caught up in your stupid little schemes and I'm sick of it! You walk around stepping on everybody, acting like your some kind of god and could do nothing wrong! You expect people to worship you despite the fact that you destroy people's lives, getting them murdered or killing them by having them commit suicide, and all for the sake of your sick entertainment! You claim to love humans but your like the worst possible cancer, you parasite! Everyone would be better off without you!"_

_"There are times where the only way out is death. You can't manipulate people anymore, and there will come a time where you have buried yourself too deep in your little schemes to get yourself back out of it again. If your undeservingly lucky you may have a choice, but in the end it will still all come crashing down on you. I just wish I could be there to watch it happen." _

"No..." Shizuo said, in an inaudible voice.

He was overwhelmed with regret. His own words were pulled from the past, and shoved in his face the moment that they became a terrible reality.

Shizuo saw Kanra's right foot slip a little on the ledge and he sprang forward.

"NO!" Kanra screamed, and Shizuo could hear the tears that would never fall from her eyes expressed clearly in her voice.

Everything happened so fast. As the word left Kanra's lips, she wrenched her arm from Taisho, pulling him down in front of her and kicking him towards the roof as her wrists broke free of whatever had bound them, holding a hand out, reaching towards empty air; in the same moment, the solitary sound of a gunshot cracked through the air like thunder.

A silent moment that lasted an eternity.

Taisho's body hit the pavement of the roof.

Kanra Orihara was gone.

He screwed up.

* * *

CrystalMeltdown 7/3/13 . chapter 23

Omfg I am on edge. I can't wait for the next chapter :D

* * *

thanks~! What would you do if I killed Kanra? 0.o this and the next chapter are the most important to me. The two chapters are the entire reason this story was written. I'm getting chapter 24 completed now~! Thanks so much~!


	24. The Most Powerful Weapon

_**Chapter 24 - The Most Powerful Weapon**_

* * *

_Kanra heard the vending machine crash behind her. That was the way she played her game. She lived for the moments where she literally stared death in the face, laughing, with all the smug defiance and fiery attitude she had. Death was not her master, and Kanra taunted it each chance she got._

* * *

_**Taunting Death**_

* * *

_In everyone's life at sometime our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. _

* * *

_ There are moments in your life that make you and sets the course of who you're going to be. _

_Sometimes they are little, subtle moments. Sometimes they're big moments you never saw coming._

_No one asks for their life to change, but it does. It's what you do afterwards that counts. _

_That's when you find out who you are. _

_When you know who you are; when your mission is clear and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will; no cold can touch your heart, no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you will stand in front of death with fire in your veins. _

_Death is beautiful when seen to be a law, and not an accident - it is as common as life._

_When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home. _

_Trust life, even if you cannot trust people. For human nature is unreliable, but life itself is ruled by immutable law. Right action leads always, in the end, to victory. And every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart._

* * *

Kanra looked down at her black combat boots. She tried to ignore the familiar point of her own switchblade being held against her neck, the sense of emptiness from the void behind her, and the white hot pain from her own mind that put every bit of her in a torturous agony worse than hell.

She ignored the sound of a door being ripped off its hinges by the strongest man in Ikebukuro. Kanra suppressed the urge to call to him, throwing out some witty insult to spark the anger and hatred reserved for her, starting one of their deadly cat and mouse games.

Which... Won't ever happen again.

Kanra frowned. Shouldn't she be feeling something? Why did she feel so numb? How desensitized had she become to feel nothing at the idea that her death was growing closer by the second? She had watched countless people in their final moments, seen every reaction from anger to despair, and yet she exhibited no emotion.

It was then that she realized she will never see her precious humans ever again. Of course she knew that all along that this was the truth, but this was the first time she actually acknowledged it. She already knew that this day would come - that this would be the last time Kanra Orihara stood with her precious humans on this earth. People who were completely unaware of who she was or how much she adored each and every one of them; even as she was standing at death's gate. It was a bitter sweet kind of love, one that had brought her nothing but trouble.

Would things have been different if she knew that on that fateful day, that seemed to have been years ago, the walk she took would be the final time she spent time with the citizens of Ikebukuro? It didn't matter anyways, there was no changing the past. Questioning it now is useless.

All the information she had yet to discover, people she had yet to encounter, and risks to be made, they were all being robbed from her. And yet, it didn't seem to bother her. She could do this for an eternity, try and come up with the things she'd never get to do, and Kanra doubted she'd be able to feel upset about it. She wasn't scared of death, but shouldn't she at least miss the freedom?

Freedom.

No. She couldn't.

Kanra couldn't even gather the will to be angry because Taisho had played her into a cage - where she was so far gone she was beyond her fears of living life tied down. He brought her worst fear to life, and she couldn't even feel upset much less try to fight the cage she was in.

Shizuo's voice registered in her ears and she snapped out of thought, listening.

"I dont have the time to be wasting my life with this shit, so cut the crap. What the hell do you want?" Shizuo spoke again, and the sound of his voice sparked something inside Kanra, causing something to rekindle.

Maybe she could find the fight in her one final time. She went through this hell to do something, and she would be damned before she gave up on it.

Kanra forced the smirk on her face, crafting a well practiced mask to make it seem genuine. Though she knew that this was just a cheap imitation, nothing close to what used to be such a viciously savage thing.

"You son of a bitch." Kanra said, having to look up at Shizuo through her eyelashes because she couldn't lift her head much due to her blade being pressed into her neck. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to spark the intrinsic egregious gleam she once possessed, laughing in a lurid tone.

"What?" Shizuo asked, and Kanra recognized the anger simmering in his eyes.

"Oh~ Shizu-chan has come to rescue me once again~! Thanks so much~!" Kanra said, filling each word with sarcasm that sharply contrasted the sweet, innocent, voice she used. She smirked sadistically, content with the demonic angel card she played.

"What the hell parasite?!" Shizuo growled, and Kanra grew more satisfied as she saw he was starting to get uneasy.

_Good animalistic instincts as always Shizu-chan, now use them._

"Oh Shizuo wait, Kanra is just acting like this because she is scared. She nearly died several times to try and protect you, so I wouldn't go trying to walk away now." Taisho said, making acid burn in Kanra's stomach.

_Dammit you ass hole! He was so close to getting away! _

"Go to hell you effing son of a-" Kanra snapped, but she felt Taisho press the tip of her knife into her skin, and Kanra drew in her breath sharply, hissing in pain. The knife didn't really hurt her, but it for damn sure didn't help the agony of the cerebral lacerations, which of course had a nasty tendency to magnify pain.

Shizuo turned back towards her, and movement over his shoulder caught Kanra's eye. Jerk #1 was stepping around the corner of the doorway, holding a handgun.

_Dammit. That's who it was._

"Heh. I'm looking forward to kick your ass you-" _click._ Kanra locked eyes with Shizuo, glaring at him and warning him to stay still.

DON'T. FREAKING. MOVE.

Her mind raced, trying to find a way to disarm the situation which was growing rapidly deadly.

She watched, every muscle in her body tensed, as Shizuo slowly turned his head, looking straight at the barrel of the gun. He paused, then started laughing.

"You think that could hurt me? You've got to be kidding."

_Dammit Shizuo, are you that retarded? _

"You don't recognize the gun?" Taisho asked.

"Why the hell would I?" Shizuo said, frowning.

"Because, Shizu-chan," Kanra sneered. "That is the very gun used by Horada and the blue squares members in Kida's gang. Remember? You were shot twice and then kindly repaid them by turning their car into a convertible with a sign." She said, trying to remind Shizuo he wasn't invincible while at the same time buying time to think. Hopefully the protozoan would catch on and understand that he now has the gun pointed at his head, and is standing in point blank range.

"So? What's your point parasite?" Shizuo growled.

"Ugh, you slow witted-" Her words were cut off by a white fiery pain from the laceration attack flaring up in her upper arm as Taisho twisted it.

"What Kanra is trying to explain," Taisho said, cutting off Kanra's words by twisting her arm. "is that one shot to the head and you're done for. But Kanra~ there is no point in trying to stall for time~ you should have just said what you meant instead." Taisho said, and Kanra dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands as she clenched her fists tightly, trying to snap the string biting into her wrists.

"What's your deal? Why go through all this trouble? And what the hell do I have to do with it?" Shizuo growled, and Kanra knew his tolerance was just about down the shitter at this point.

"Oh we don't really have any problems with you, Shizuo Hewajima. It's because of Kanra that you are here. She was the one that dragged you into this." Taisho said. He dug the point of her switchblade deeper, and Kanra hissed in pain again as she flinched away.

_That effing liar. _

"You see, little Kanra here, loves to play her iniquitous games, acting like some sort of god and claiming to love humans when in reality she walks around stepping on everybody, ruining lives and destroying everything in her path for fun." Taisho said, and Kanra tried to keep in another scream as her arm was twisted even further.

"I was one of those people but now," Suddenly Taisho pulled her backwards and she felt herself tip back into the void. She tried to dig her boots into the pavement of the roof ledge, but her left foot slipped.

_No no no no no!_

As soon as she was gone they would shoot Shizuo. Those bastards won't win, she wouldn't let them.

"Now, I will extinguish the fire in Kanra Orihara's soul. Permanently. You are a cancer, Kanra. I, am the cure."

Kanra looked at Shizuo when she heard the familiar words, and they both flashed back to that day in the alley.

_"You haven't done anything for me! You only get me caught up in your stupid little schemes and I'm sick of it! You walk around stepping on everybody, acting like your some kind of god and could do nothing wrong! You expect people to worship you despite the fact that you destroy people's lives, getting them murdered or killing them by having them commit suicide, and all for the sake of your sick entertainment! You claim to love humans but your like the worst possible cancer, you parasite! Everyone would be better off without you!"_

_"There are times where the only way out is death. You can't manipulate people anymore, and there will come a time where you have buried yourself too deep in your little schemes to get yourself back out of it again. If your undeservingly lucky you may have a choice, but in the end it will still all come crashing down on you. I just wish I could be there to watch it happen."_

"No..." Kanra read the word on Shizuo's lips.

Just then a new wave of pain hit her and she weakened, her right foot slipping a little. She saw Shizuo move towards her, and her eyes locked on the trigger of the gun pointed at him.

"NO!" Kanra screamed, and time snapped into slow motion. Jerk #1 turned toward her as she wrenched her arm from Taisho, pulling him down in front of her, the string on her wrists snapping. As she did this, Jerk #1 fired, his reaction time too slow to register the fact that Kanra had just pulled Taisho down in the bullet's path. She tried to kick Taisho out of her way so she could fall onto the roof, but she was too weak and when she kicked, it just pushed her away from the edge. She reached out towards empty air as she fell backwards.

Kanra saw the blade of her knife flash in the light as it dropped with her.

* * *

**_Final Ignition_**

* * *

_ In the end you always go back to the people that were there in the begining._

* * *

Kanra Orihara closed her eyes. She couldn't see anything anyways, everything was a blur and it was moving too fast. All the power in her instantly washed out, and she choked back a sob; a small whimper escaping her lips before it was torn away and muted by the silence rushing by, filling her ears.

She hoped Shizuo had been smart and left. Taisho was dead, shot by a bullet from his own gang, but there was more than one bullet in that gun, and who knew what Jerk #1 would do. Humans were so unpredictable under stress.

Kanra was tired. So very tired.

Just then warm, comforting, strong arms wrapped around her, and she was wrapped in a full body hug.

Her eyes snapped open in shock, before her face was pressed against someone's shoulder. Kanra was sure her heart stopped as she inhaled the all too familiar scent of mint and cigarette smoke.

"K-Kanra?" A shaky voice asked, and Kanra couldn't find words to speak as she tried to see through half lidded eyes.

Finally her blurred vision cleared, and she found herself looking across a black vest, with a lot of dust in the air.

"Shizu-chan?" Kanra said faintly, weak with exhaustion. She could barely hear her own voice.

She felt Shizuo give an immense sigh of relief, and Kanra finally became aware that the sensation of failing had ended.

Was she dead?

Kanra closed her eyes again, and she felt Shizuo wrap his other arm around her, embracing her again.

"Kanra, keep your eyes open." Shizuo said, his voice still shaky. Kanra struggled to open her eyes, as she felt Shizuo let go to pull something out of his pocket. She heard a dial tone, and then a click.

"Hey. Yeah." Shizuo said, and he hesitated for a moment. "Not good, she... I don't know. She is having trouble staying awake." There was another pause. "Um... No it's okay. I don't think it will be a problem. Okay, bye." Shizuo hung up and put the phone away, hugging Kanra once more.

_What... What is this? I don't understand... _

"Kanra stay awake okay? Celty is on her way. Just hang on. It's going to be okay." Shizuo said, and Kanra wanted to cry as she found herself having to revive the will power that was beyond spent.

She was too damned tired for this shit. Her mind was spinning, and she felt like the ground beneath her was tilting violently.

"Shizu-chan?" Kanra asked, still in an almost inaudible voice.

"Y-yeah?" Shizuo said, his voice trembling.

"...Thanks." Kanra said, snuggling into Shizu-chan's hug.

"Sure." He said awkwardly, petting her hair.

Kanra found it even harder to not fall asleep when Shizu-chan was so damned comfortable.

"Kanra? Come on, stay awake. You can't fall asleep, got it?" Shizuo's voice was fading in and out of hearing, and Kanra felt like there was a thick, heavy, suffocating blanket engulfing her. The phantom weight made it difficult to breathe, and even though she was getting plenty of oxygen, it felt like she would never get enough. She started getting really light headed as she felt Shizuo lightly shake her.

"Kanra, please. Stay awake dammit!"

Kanra looked up at his face and a genuine smile played about her lips. "When are you going to learn, you dumbass protozoan. I never do what you tell me." Kanra said, laying her head back down and shifting into a better position as she felt herself sinking, slowly slipping into the blackness, glad her final words weren't something out of character, but something she would have said in a fight with Shizu-chan and not in his arms.

_Thank you. _

Kanra thought, though to whom she had no idea, she just felt it was something that needed to be said. The darkness started to completely close in, creating a thick barrier between her and the world.

_It's been a good time. _

* * *

Shizuo hit the ground with a sudden thud, despite his efforts to slow their fall. He had jumped without even thinking, wrapping Kanra in his arms and pulling her towards him.

He looked down at Kanra, who was laying on her right side, pressed tightly to him with her left hand on his vest. There was a bloodied string that had snapped at some point, yet it still wound tightly around her wrists, cutting into her skin.

Did she even feel it at all? She hadn't moved yet, and he started to worry that he had not been able to save her after all. She wasn't really on top of him as he had planned.

"K-Kanra?" He said, his voice wavering. She stirred, and Shizuo could see she was fighting on the edge of consciousness, having to blink several times before she seemed aware of her surroundings.

"Shizu-chan?" Kanra said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

Shizuo let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in. Reaching over he hugged Kanra, trying to provide any comfort he could. He didn't know why he did it, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

"Kanra, keep your eyes open." Shizuo said, the quaver in his voice betraying how shaken he was emotionally. He released his grip on the informant, trying to pull the phone out of his pocket without moving to much as he watched her struggle to keep her eyes open and focused. He punched in Shinra's number and almost immediately the underground doctor picked up.

"Shizuo, is that you?" Shinra asked quickly.

"Hey." Shizuo said, and even though he thought he had managed to keep the emotional tension out of his voice, Shinra seemed to almost sense it through the phone.

"What's wrong. Did you find Kanra?"

"Yeah."

"How is she?" Shinra said, seeming to understand now was not the time for congradulations.

"Not good, she... I don't know. She is having trouble staying awake." Shizuo said, glancing down at the informant in his arms.

"Where are you two?" Shinra asked, and Shizuo could hear movement on the other end of the line.

"Um..." Shizuo said, and he mentally smacked his forehead, angrily cursing his stupidity. He had been focused on his thoughts on the way here, he let his feet subconsciously lead him to the warehouse, and now had difficulty remembering where exactly they were.

"Oh nevermind. I was just told Celty has left already to find you and is on her way. Kadota offered to take me over in his van to pick you two up in his van, so we are just waiting for Celty to give us directions. Don't try and find out were you are ok? I need you to be with Kanra and don't move. Just wait for Celty to find you, she knows the city like the back of her hand so it won't take long. I'd just let Celty pick Kanra up since the trip would be faster, but there are two of you and I think this is best." Shinra said, as sounds of metalic clinks and machines whirring to life came through the cell as Shinra was busy setting up trays of medical instruments and who knows what else.

"Sure thing, whatever is best." He looked down at Kanra, who was breathing steadily and still conscious. She could last a few minutes for Shinra to arrive, he hoped.

"Ah, I see. Ill see you soon. Make sure to keep her awake if at all possible." Shinra said.

"Okay, bye." Shizuo hung up and put the phone away, hugging Kanra once more.

"Kanra stay awake okay? Celty is on her way. Just hang on. It's going to be okay." Shizuo said, reassuring himself as well as Kanra. He wouldn't let her die. She couldn't.

He didn't want her to die just yet. The little fiery informant would just have to suck it up and accept she was going to survive, and that he would be there for her to get her through it. The only thing he hated more than Kanra herself was seeing her like this.

"Shizu-chan?" Kanra asked, almost too softly for Shizuo to hear.

"Y-yeah?" Shizuo said, choking up as he saw the tears build in her eyes. Somehow he knew she didn't even know she was so close to crying. Kanra Orihara never cried, even after getting hurt countless times in fights with him.

_I can't imagine the pain she's in._

"...Thanks." Kanra said, snuggling into him.

"Sure." He said, awkwardly petting her, at a loss as to what to do. He felt so useless.

He saw her breathing shallow, and his heart was gripped in a sharp, icy panic.

"Kanra? Come on, stay awake. You can't fall asleep, got it?" Shizuo said frantically, gripping her hand in his own. He gently shook her, trying to force her to stay awake.

"Kanra, please. Stay awake dammit!"

He stared down at the informant, who looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. "When are you going to learn, you dumbass protozoan. I never do what you tell me." The familiarity of the words stuck him hard, clawing at his heart cruelly, as Kanra laid her head back down and stayed still. Shizuo's heart was gripped in an icy hold as something caught light and winked brightly.

A single diamond like tear winked at the corner of Kanra's eye. Proof that Kanra Orihara was human.

Kanra never gave up, fighting until the end, giving everything she had when she knew it was approaching.

"Kanra." Shizuo whispered, feeling a calm strength come over him from seemingly nowhere. "I know you can hear me, so listen."

"Fight. You think you have nothing left, but," He said, gently wiping the tear away with his thumb.

"you're wrong. You know why? Because I know you parasite. You're the girl who stared me straight in the eye with overflowing confidence and not one hint of fear when we first met, and have done so every day since. You're the girl who dances around danger, who plays with fire. You send some of the most notorious criminals cowering with their tail tucked between their legs at the mere sight of you. I've spent years fighting you, and I know that nailing smoke to a wall is easier than hitting you with a vending machine, street sign, or whatever. However, getting pissed off at you is easy, especially when you deliberately push my temper. I can't even count the number of fights we've had. Or The number of street signs destroyed, or vending machines thrown. Street barriers are a different story though. I've ripped out somewhere around twenty, but they stopped putting those in. I've thrown three trucks, got hit by a truck twice, and ripped up the pavement of numerous streets. You've thrown more knives than the stars in the sky, I've broken about half of them, and you could ask Kasuka if you want to know how many bartender outfits he has had to send me, despite my protests; so he could replace the ones torn to ribbons and destroyed. Probably 89% of them destroyed by your direct doing, 10% indrectectly ruined by you, and the 1% was by some dude with a pen. Hell, you've destroyed so many of my outfits, half of the way I determine I like someone or not is if they ruin my clothes. The pen guy only ruined one, so that was part of the reason I liked him a hell of a lot more than you. At least it was a pen and not one of your blades." Shizuo said, gently brushing the hair from her face. "Tch, I could only imagine what you'd say if you were awake now. The sad truth is, the reason I'm able to remember this all is because you've become such a large part of my life. Which, by the way is annoying as hell. I don't think its a good thing that over half my time is spent fighting because of you." Shizuo smirked.

"But unarmed you wield the most devastating weapon." He said, gently holding her closer, as if by doing so he could give her at least some if not all of his strength. He used to hate it, but today he would've given anything to become stronger so he could have saved her. Now he just wanted to make her stronger, because he wasn't strong enough alone.

_"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."_

* * *

**_TO ALL THE READERS OF FIRE OF A SOUL_**

I am still writing this story. It may take me a little while to get the next chapter up, because there are so many different ways to go with this. The idea for chapters 23 and 24 are the entire reason this story was written. So with writing the previous chapters, I kinda had a general direction to follow, and I just filled in the plot as I went along, building up the story around the end. I had no plans for afterwards. There is no set course, and no determined destination from this point on.

As to where I will go from here, I am still working it out. I have several ideas in mind. I have gotten in contact with a good friend of mine, who I see as an advisor. I am going to discuss the ending with her because I need the time to prepare a general outline of each different scenario I can take. Once I have each path summarized, I will go over each one and select which course is best to take. However, that choice won't be made without some key factors.

This is where I need your help.

I want to give you, the readers, a chance to help chose how this story ends.

At this point, Kanra Orihara's fate has not been decided.

Will you chose to save Kanra's life? Will she survive the dual against Taisho and step up for round two against her own Cerebral Lacerations?

Or will the indestructible Kanra Orihara fall, achieving the greater victory of self sacrifice in order to defeat Taisho? Will you leave her to watch her humans for all eternity from afar, unable to breech the barrier separating life and death?

The choice is up to you - you hold death in one hand and life in the other.

Send me a personal message or leave a review, let me know what you decide.

Thanks for walking this path with Kanra, I would never have made it this far without your support.

* * *

Some of you may remember me saying how I found a quote that was perfect for this story, and I had no idea it even existed. Well, that quote at the end is it. I wanted to keep it for the end of the story, and its kinda sad knowing how close I am to finishing this.

* * *

EashaChan 7/5/13 . chapter 24

Wahhhh! No Kanra! :) cant wait till next update.

* * *

Thanks! I'm still figuring out how I'm going to do the next couple of chapters, but ill be getting it to you soon!


	25. Apologies for my Absence - Working on it

Hey guys, I'm terribly sorry for my absence. Its been a lot more busy of a summer than I could have imagined. But don't worry, highschool has just started and I'm going to be trying to write as much as I can. I think I've had more than enough of an unintended break. :P


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